Journey to the Future
by myinuyasha04
Summary: Pulled into the well just after graduating college, Kagome finds herself drawn into a centuries long plot to save the past and preserve her present. Sess/Kag. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: This was my NaNo 2012 project! It is about half way finished, so I thought I would go ahead and start posting chapters. This is fairly AU and will be quite long. It is also posted on my DA, so if it looks familiar, I haven't plagiarized, it's mine :) **

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_Journey to the Future – Chapter 1_

Dawn painted the sky brilliant shades of soft pink, pale blue and vibrant orange. Higuarshi Kagome sat on the steps leading to the family shrine, breathing in the cool morning air. It was a crisp, clean contrast to the last seven years spent in the heart of Tokyo. While the shrine was not far from the crowded business district, the atmosphere was quiet and refreshing. Kagome had found a similar feeling at other shrines she had frequented. The hustle and bustle of the city seemed unable to penetrate the peaceful aura of the shrine.

As the sun continued to rise, Kagome stood, straightening her shirt. Her thick black hair was pulled back into a ponytail that teased her lower back. A light breeze stirred her long bangs and she tucked them back behind her ears, silently grateful that she had allowed the short pieces to grow out enough to do so.

Kagome fitted a pair of headphones into her ears and turned her music up loud enough to drown out the sound of her own breathing. She had woken up early from an unsettling dream and desperately craved the high that running provided.

She took off, heading for the barely visible trail that carved through the Higurashi land. The shrine grounds and her family home occupied a fairly small portion of the property. A large forest spread out from the edge of the yard and extended back several miles. Kagome could remember several attempts to purchase some of the pristine land, but her grandfather had always refused.

The pounding of her feet against the hard packed earth was comforting as she weaved along the worn trail that her father had painstakingly carved out before she was born. Each step took her away from the disturbing images that had torn her from sleep in the early hours of the morning. She supposed that it was fitting, dreaming about youkai and magical jewels while at home. Her grandfather loved to tell stories about such things.

The hair on the back of her neck prickled and Kagome slowed to a stop, pulling the headphones out of her ears and looking around in slight alarm. Even though she strained her ears, the only sounds she could hear were her own breathing and the roaring rush of adrenaline. Her flesh crawled at the silence. Kagome had never heard the forest so still. It was if something was out there, waiting.

Just as suddenly as it had come, the feeling was gone and the tittering of birds and chirping of insects filled the air. Kagome sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Must have been a dog or something…" she muttered.

She was about halfway through the running trail, but she decided to turn back and head the way she had come. Kagome rolled up the earbuds and tucked them into the armband that held her music player. She didn't want to take any chances of being surprised by wild animals, so she kept her ears free and her eyes alert along the tree line as she headed back toward her house, her pace slightly too fast to be considered a leisurely run.

When Kagome returned to the shrine grounds, her grandfather was up tidying the area. There wasn't much to do, as he swept every morning and was nearly obsessive about keeping everything pristine.

"Need any help, jii-chan?" Kagome's legs burned slightly and she breathed heavily, but the exercise and the concern over the sudden silence in the woods had chased away the last vestiges of her discomforting dream.

The old man turned to smile at his granddaughter. "I've nearly finished, Kagome-chan. But if you could help me bag these leaves, I would appreciate it." He gestured toward a large trash bag sagging against the side of the sacred tree.

"Of course!" Kagome hurried forward, taking the rake out of her grandfather's hands. "You hold the bag open, and I'll do the rest."

Her grandfather relinquished the rake and took up the trash bag. Kagome dumped in a few small piles of leaves and grass clippings. "Jii-chan," she started, leaning on the rake as her grandfather tied off the bag.

The old man looked up at her from his task, eyebrows raised questioningly.

"Have you had any trouble with wild animals here lately?" She asked, taking the bag from her grandfather as they headed toward the maintenance shed. "Like foxes or stray dogs?"

"I don't believe so," the priest said thoughtfully. "At least none that have come close to the shrine. Did you see anything strange out there?"

Kagome shook her head negatively. "No, I didn't see anything. It just got really quiet out there for a moment, so I thought there may be some kind of predator out there."

"That's certainly possible," her grandfather agreed. "I'll call someone to come out and take a look, so in the meantime, try not to stray too far out in the forest." He locked up the storage shed and gestured for Kagome to go ahead without him. "I've got a few more things to finish up out here, but you go on inside. Your mother has breakfast waiting for you."

Kagome grinned at her grandfather. "Thanks, jii-chan. I _guess_ I'll make sure to save some for you."

She ducked to avoid a playful swat and jogged back toward her house. Her relationship with her grandfather had greatly changed from her teenage years, where she was embarrassed of his obsession with legends and youkai. During her last year of high school, her grandfather had suffered from a minor stroke. While he had completely recovered with little side effects, the experience had shaken her up enough to change her view of him. She had grown to enjoy his stories and was honestly amazed at the sheer amount of lore that he had accumulated.

Kagome entered through the front door of her family home and nearly drooled at the smells in the air. She slipped her feet out of her sneakers and dropped her armband on the entry table. Following her nose toward the kitchen, Kagome inhaled deeply and groaned in pleasure. "Mama… that smells sinful," she sighed, smiling at the older woman standing over the cooktop.

"Good morning to you too, Kagome-chan," her mother laughed. She gestured toward the table, where breakfast was already set. "Did you have a nice run?"

Kagome nodded and helped herself to a bite of sweet omelet. "Yeah, I feel a lot better. Where's Souta?"

Sitting across from her daughter, Higurashi Hana let out an exasperated sigh. "Ever since he started high school, that lazy boy sleeps in until noon on his days off."

With a light, slightly guilty, laugh, Kagome hid a blush behind her rice bowl. At her boarding school, she had done the exact same thing. She hadn't thought her mother knew, but by the expression on her face, she must have guessed.

After a companionable silence, Hana said fondly, "you really are so much like your father. I never did understand the appeal of running first thing in the morning." She smiled a little mischievously. "Or running at all, for that matter."

Kagome grinned at her mother and set down her chopsticks. She had inherited her father's black hair and unusual blue eyes. Although her brother Souta had the same color hair as his sister and father, his face was shaped more like their mother's and he had her soft brown eyes.

"It helps make my problems seem smaller, somehow," Kagome admitted. "Helps with bad dreams too."

"Did you not sleep well?"

"Oh, I didn't really have _bad_ dreams so much as they were unsettling," Kagome quickly corrected. "It was probably jii-chan's legend about Goshinboku that he shared with us last night at dinner."

"Jii-chan does have some pretty wild tales to tell," the older woman conceded. They shared a quiet laugh before Hana shooed her away. "Go shower, dear. Your father's clinic has some recommendations for you. I gave them a call last week before you came home."

"Oh, mama! Thank you!" Kagome swept her mother up in an excited hug.

"Kagome-chan!" Hana laughed, returning the embrace briefly before pushing lightly at her daughter. "Go bathe, you sweaty girl!"

Kagome laughed and headed upstairs to her old room. It hadn't changed much since she had last lived in it. She had told her mother when she moved out that the family was free to use the room as they pleased, but it still looked just like it had when she last lived in it at fifteen.

She chuckled at the corny band poster that greeted her when she entered the room, wondering how she could have ever liked the cheesy group. Kagome pulled an outfit appropriate for job conversations from her closet and laid the clothing out flat on her bed before grabbing her robe and heading for the bathroom. That her mother had called the clinic really surprised her. Kagome knew that even after nearly fifteen years her mother was still grieving over the loss of her husband.

Kagome paused in the middle of lathering up her hair in surprise. She could hardly believe it had been so long since her father's death. The accident still felt like it had been only yesterday. She shook herself and ducked under the hot spray. There was no use dwelling on the past; thinking on the accident only brought her mood down anyway.

Her father had been the surgeon at a small clinic not too far from the shrine. Kagome originally wanted to follow in his footsteps, but she quickly discovered that she was too squeamish for that kind of work. It wasn't the blood that bothered her, but the idea of putting her hands inside another person's body.

Instead, she fell in love with physical therapy. In her last year at university, she interned with a therapist attached to the nearby hospital. Kagome found helping people to relearn how to use their limbs or recover from accidents or surgeries to be particularly rewarding. She especially loved working with children. While she was now a licensed therapist herself, Kagome lacked the means to start her own private practice. As she finished showering, she hoped that her father's old clinic would have some good ideas for where she could begin work.

She dried her hair carefully, parting it on the side and allowing the front to gently frame her face. As a teenager, her hair had been slightly wavy and bushy. In college, she finally learned how to dry it properly, using a large rounded brush, to a sleek and smooth finish, although the ends still tended to curl. The heavy weight of her hair on her back had become comforting and she couldn't believe that she had once chopped it off.

Kagome applied minimal make-up and dressed in a soft gray pencil skirt and a royal blue blouse. She chose a pair of low-heeled black pumps to finish the outfit. The underside of the shoe was the same rich blue as her blouse and the pair was one of her favorites.

Heels dangling in her hand, she resisted the urge to rudely awaken her brother as she passed his room. But she promised herself that if he was still in bed when she returned that he was fair game.

Unfortunately for Kagome, her little brother was awake when she came back from the clinic. They had given her a list of prospective work places and had enjoyed seeing her as an adult. Kagome had stayed longer than she intended, going with them to lunch and listening to stories about her father.

"You are one lucky guy, Souta," Kagome teased, reaching over the top of the couch to ruffle his hair.

Souta sat up and swatted at her hand, causing her to skip away with a laugh.

"How do you figure that," he asked through a yawn as he paused his game and looked at her.

"Well," Kagome hedged, perching on the arm of the couch. "I was remembering some of the tactics you used to get me up when I was in middle school."

Souta paled slightly. "I _am _lucky then! What made you change your mind?" He wasn't completely sure that he wanted the answer, judging by the somewhat evil expression on his sister's face.

"I didn't want to ruin my clothes," she said ominously, rising from the couch and sauntering to the stairs.

"Wait," Souta called after her, video game forgotten on the couch cushion. "What do you mean 'ruin'? What in the world were you going to do?"

She answered his question with a laugh that bordered on menacing as she climbed the stairs to her room. Kagome shut her bedroom door and leaned on it, laughing at the expression that had been on her brother's face. She knew now that she had to prank him at least once before she moved out.

Kagome placed her heels back in the closet and hung up the blouse and skirt. She still wasn't used to wearing business appropriate attire and found it to be a little uncomfortable. Knowing that she had nothing else to do for the day and remembering the sight of her old, fat cat ambling toward the well house (again) when she had left that morning, Kagome chose to wear a pair of soft black cotton pants and a red tank. She pulled her hair back up into a high ponytail, leaving the long bangs out to frame her face.

She made a pit stop in the bathroom after leaving her room to carefully remove the small amount of cosmetics that she had just applied that morning. She once forgot to wash her face in college and never made that mistake again after waking the next morning with terrible acne. Of course, she wasn't a teenager anymore, but Kagome knew her own luck well enough not to risk it.

As she padded back downstairs in socked feet, her grandfather called to her from the front door. "Kagome-chan! Your cat has gotten himself stuck in the well house again!"

"I knew I should have grabbed him his morning," she sighed. "I'll go get him, jii-chan!" she called back.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at her useless lump of a brother, who had resumed his sprawl on the couch, handheld game system in front of his face. She was tempted to sneak up behind him and roll him off the couch, but she decided to wait for a better time when he would least expect it. He was off for the holidays anyway and she would have plenty of opportunities to prank him.

She slipped on her shoes and headed out to the old well house. The door was crack open just wide enough to permit one fat cat entry. Kagome sighed, once again thinking that they should bar the door shut to keep Buyo out. Slipping inside, she blinked rapidly for a moment, hoping her eyes would adjust to the darkness of the small structure soon.

For as long as they had had Buyo, it was Kagome's job to retrieve the troublemaker from the well. Souta had never liked the well house, citing a bad feeling as his excuse, but Kagome loved it. She felt drawn to the well and often sought conform in both its presence and Goshinboku's after the car accident which had claimed her father's life. Kagome struggled with the guilt of surviving that crash for years. Once, during a particularly low moment, her mother had shared her father's love of running and Kagome had taken up the habit as a form of stress relief. It worked wonders combined with the therapy she had received. Still, the well held a special place in her heart and she never minded when she had to rescue her cat from its depths.

"Buyo, where are you?" She called, listening carefully for the meow that usually followed. It sounded faint, but was definitely inside the well house.

Kagome looked around carefully and let out a gasp as she saw the well itself. It was normally boarded up and pasted with faded ofuda, supposed used to seal away some ancient evil. Now, however, the charms were torn and the lid had fallen through. Underneath her concern for the cat, she was somewhat amused that his hefty weight had broken through the usually solid wood.

She approached the well and peered down into its depths. It was too dark for her to see the bottom but when she called for the cat, she heard his answering yowl more clearly. There was an old ladder leading down to the bottom of the well and she vaguely wondered why it was there. It looked sturdy enough, so she swung her leg carefully over the side and navigated her way down the ladder to the frustrated cries of her cat.

The bottom of the well was closer than she expected and a faint glow emanated from the ground, allowing her to see Buyo's petulant face. She was relieved to see that the husky cat was unharmed, although he was certainly unhappy.

"You are one bad cat," she scolded him, hefting him in the crook of her left arm and holding him tightly to her body. "Now, if you squirm, I'll drop you and you'll have to get out on your own. Got it?"

Buyo mewed in agreement and Kagome carefully ascended the ladder. It was with a sigh of relief that she climbed out. She set the cat back on the ground outside of the well house and shooed him away. Kagome couldn't help feeling amused as Buyo shook himself and stalked away, his tail held high in the air as if completely unbothered with making her work so hard to save him.

She turned around to look around the inside of the well house, placing her hands on her hips. "Now… to board that up again," she muttered. Unfortunately, her grandfather kept the shrine facilities a little _too_ tidy and there was nothing inside that could be used as a temporary cover.

She determined to tell her grandfather about the broken cover. He would no doubt be ecstatic about applying new charms to the lid.

As Kagome started pulling the doors closed, a gust of wind burst from within the well house, knocking the aged wood from her hands and causing her to stumble backward.

"What in the world…" she gasped. The wind died down and she stared owlishly at the well sitting benignly in the center of the shed. She took a few steps forward to peer into the bottom of the well, but it was empty. A chill stole over her and Kagome shuddered lightly.

She backed up and quickly shut the doors of the well house. This time, they stayed closed and she hurried back to the house, feeling unnerved by the whole experience.

Buyo was waiting for her by the entrance of her house and she let him inside with a soft sigh. Kagome took off her shoes and shuffled into the living room, sitting heavily on the couch beside her brother.

Souta looked up at her in surprise. "What's up with you?"

Kagome tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned back into the cushions. "Something weird in the well house," she said.

"I always told you that place was creepy," Souta asserted. He pressed a few buttons on his game system and set it aside. "Want to play some Wii?"

With a grin, Kagome sat back up straight. "You always know just how to cheer me up," she said, lightly punching her brother on the arm.

They spent the rest of the afternoon playing WiiSports, in which Kagome mercilessly slaughtered her brother, and she nearly forgot about the strange wind that had blown from the well until she was in bed that night.

Kagome cursed under her breath as she realized that she forgot to tell her grandfather about the uncovered well. She mentally shrugged and snuggled more deeply under her covers. One night wouldn't hurt anyone, would it?


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: Thanks everyone for the kind words and favs/follows!**

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_Journey to the Future – Chapter 2_

The next afternoon found Kagome sprawled limply over the armchair in the living room. She had been busy that morning. After an unexpectedly enjoyable breakfast with Hojo, during which she was pleased to learn that he had recently become engaged to her old friend Eri, Kagome made the rounds visiting each location on her list of job ideas. After politely expressing interest and mentioning the name of her father's clinic, she dropped her resume and moved on until she had completed the list.

If she was being honest with herself, Kagome wasn't too hopeful that she would get very many callbacks.

"Long day so far?"

Kagome moved her arm away from its position over her eyes and blinked at her mother, who was smiling at her from over the side of the couch.

"Just a lot of people telling me in the kindest way that they were not currently looking to expand," Kagome replied wanly. She let out a slight moan as she stretched and her back cracked satisfyingly.

"Well, don't be too discouraged," Hana said, running her fingers through Kagome's mussed hair. "It was only the first day."

"Yeah I know," Kagome agreed with a smile. She noticed the shopping bag in her mother's other hand and got to her feet. "Need help bringing anything else in?"  
"Yes, dear, that would be lovely. There are a few more bags in the trunk. Why don't you drag your brother along too?"

Kagome grinned slightly evilly. "Oh, good idea, mama… I'll _definitely_ go get Souta to help."

She cackled softly as she crept up the stairs. When she had gotten home, her little brother had been playing a game online with some of his friends. Kagome knew from experience that once that headset went over his ears that he was oblivious to just about everything. His proximity to electronics ruled out any of the … damper ideas she had in mind, but she felt sure that she could think of something that would end up with him messy without ruining his stuff.

A few minutes later and Souta's shriek of fury echoed through the house, followed by Kagome's maniacal laughter. She ran down the stairs and through the house, stuffing her feet into her shoes as fast as humanly possible.

Just as Kagome was escaping through the front door, she caught a glimpse of Souta, hot on her heels, with shaving cream running down the side of his head.

"Kagome! I'm going to get you for this!" He threatened, pausing to jam on his own shoes.

"I'd like to see you try," Kagome taunted back, running across the yard and through the shrine grounds toward her mother's car.

As she passed by the well house, a violent shudder ripped down her spine, stopping her dead in her tracks. Kagome stared wide-eyed through the open doors at the suddenly menacing-looking well. A hazy fog emanated from the well, nearly obscuring the faint pink glow that shone from the bottom.

Souta slammed into her back, tackling her to the ground. But when his questing fingers in her most ticklish spots failed to produce any laughter, he stopped. "Kagome, what's wrong?'

"The well… what's wrong with the well?" Kagome's voice was strained and the same spied-upon feeling that she had experienced the day before returned tenfold.

Souta frowned at his sister and looked up at the well house. "It looks just like it always does, Kagome," he insisted. "Ancient and a little creepy."

"You can't see that… weird fog coming from it?"

"Uh… no… there's no fog, Kagome." He got to his feet and extended a hand to his sister. "Did you hit your head or something?"

Kagome accepted the hand, and just as she opened her mouth to respond, a hideous, rotting face burst through the billowing fog and shot out of the well house right at her.

"The jewel! I can... ssssmell it…" the monster crooned.

Kagome screamed as four skeletal arms wrapped around her and pulled her back toward the well.

Souta shouted in shock and held onto his sister's hands as tightly as he could, fighting against the strength of the creature that had grabbed her. "Kagome, hold on!"

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" She struggled against the arms holding her, but their grip only tightened. Kagome tried to hold on Souta's hands, but the monster gave one mighty jerk, tearing her grip away and pulling her into the well. She was able to grab onto the lip of the well just long enough to see her brother's frightened and shocked face. "Get jii-chan," she yelled before she was tugged back into the depths of the well..

Kagome shrieked as the arms tightened painfully and she squeezed her eyes shut, anticipating a hard impact with the ground at the bottom of the well. However, after a moment passed without a collision, her eyes shot open in surprise. She was floating in inky blackness. Her senses returning, Kagome renewed her struggles against the arms wrapped around her, kicking out at the creature and clawing at the limbs clinging around her hips and stomach.

"Give it to me… it is mine…" a rasping voice whispered into her ear and bony fingers dug into her flesh.

"Get off!" Kagome shouted. As her desperation increased, she felt a nearly unbearable pressure building underneath her ribs. It grew to the point where it was almost painful before relieving in a wild rush of brilliant pink waves that burst from her body. The creature screamed terribly and was blown away from her.

A light appeared above them and the monster flew toward it, disappearing into the brightness. Kagome felt herself touch gently to the ground. She lay limply, breathing raggedly. Her muscles ached and she felt like she had been wrung out like a dish rag. Her abdomen throbbed where the creature's fingers had dug into her skin and she knew that she was going to bruise horribly.

Kagome blinked rapidly until her vision cleared and frowned up at the blue sky at the top of the well. Had the thing burst through the top of the well house? And where was Souta?

Panic rushed through her at the thought of her brother and the rest of her family being terrorized by the rotting creature that had attacked her. She pushed to her feet with a groan of effort and reached out for the ladder to climb back out of the well.

"Oh, come on!" She burst out angrily. The crumbling ladder that she used just yesterday to retrieve her cat had vanished. She looked wildly around for the remnants of the ladder, thinking that the monster may have destroyed it, but there was nothing but the roots of plants sprouting through the earthen walls and ground.

Kagome squinted up the length of the well wall and was barely able to make out a thick cluster of vines that appeared to reach the top. She took a deep breath and reached up as high as she could, digging her fingers into the cold foliage. Using her legs to brace against the wall and occasionally finding footholds in the rough earth, Kagome managed to reach the top of the well.

She panted harshly from exertion but her exhaustion was forgotten at the sight that greeted her. She was in a small clearing, surrounded by trees. A path cut down the side of a slight slope to a tiny village in the distance. Kagome gaped at the sight. There was no well house, no Souta, and no shrine.

Her grip slipped slightly and she fell a few inches. Kagome's fingers ached with the effort of clutching the vines and she pulled herself quickly over the lip of the well. She sat on the ground, back against the rough wood, and fought to contain her panic. Where was she? What happened to the shrine? And where was her family?

Kagome sat there, shivering slightly, for hours. It was the steadily darkening sky that pulled her from her thoughts and she decided that continuing to sit there wasn't going to do any good. Ignoring her aching muscles, she got to her feet and picked her way carefully along the trail to the village. As she got closer to the collection of thatch-roofed huts, Kagome vaguely wondered if she had hit her head when Souta tackled her and was dreaming. However, when she twisted the soft flesh on the underside of her arm, she let out a yelp at the sharp pain, ruling out the dream theory.

There were a few people out in the village and they all stopped to stare at her as she approached. Feeling out of place in her filthy jeans and tank, she wrapped her arms around herself uncertainly at the hostility in their eyes. She stopped walking before she got too close and shifted her weight uncomfortably.

"Um, excuse me," she called out, her voice surer than she felt. "Where am I?"

At her question, some of the hostility faded and the villagers exchanged glances. A stocky elder woman wearing an eye patch approached her. She was wearing a traditional, red and white miko outfit and Kagome briefly entertained the idea that she had come across some kind of historical reenactment.

"Who are you, child?" The woman asked. Her voice was gruff but the tone kind. "From where have you come?"

"My name is Kagome and… I was pulled into the well by this _thing_ and when I climbed out, I was here," Kagome tried to explain. She was sure she had said something wrong when the expressions of the surrounding villagers turned either frightened or angry. She took an involuntary step back.

The old woman held out her hand, stopping the mutters that had begun to spread among the people. "Fear not," she said. "This child has a pure spirit." She gestured at the villagers and they slowly dispersed, resuming the activities that Kagome's arrival had interrupted.

Kagome eyed the woman warily as she came closer. "Who are you?" she asked.

"You may call me Kaede," the old woman replied. She gestured for Kagome to follow and led the way to a large hut that looked in better condition than most of the others.

Despite her mind screaming at her to run back to the well, Kagome had a feeling that the woman meant her no harm. It was the same sort of feeling that she used to have about the well house before it had pulled an _Exorcist_ on her, so she followed Kaede into her home.

Inside, it was warm and cozy. There were various plants and herbs hanging from the ceiling to dry and the air smelled slightly medicinal. Kaede eased herself down at a low, rough hewn table. Kagome sat across from her and allowed herself to slowly unwind.

Kaede studied her features intently. "You greatly resemble my deceased elder sister, child," she said just as Kagome was beginning to feel uncomfortable again.

"I… beg your pardon?" Kagome asked, startled by the other woman's random (and somewhat creepy) observation.

"Oh, just an old woman's rambling," Kagome responded gruffly, waving her hand dismissively. "So, child, you came through the well?"

"Yes, I…" Kagome paused after fully processing what the old woman had asked. "Wait, what do you mean _through_ the well?" Her face paled and a cold chill swept through her veins.

Kaede reached out across the small table to pat Kagome's arm with a calloused hand. Her knuckles looked gnarled and painful. "Breathe child, calm down."

Kagome took a deep breath and held it for a moment, counting to ten in her head. After slowly exhaling, she felt marginally better. "Okay. So what did you mean, 'through'?"

The old woman smiled slightly, the expression a startling change on her somber, weathered face. "The well has long been imbued with magic," she explained matter-of-factly. "Mine own ability is low, but I can tell you are not—"

Kaede was cut off abruptly by a terrified shriek from the village. Both women jumped to their feet. "Child, you must get back to the well," she said, firmly gripping Kagome's shoulders and steering her toward a second door at the back of the house. She pushed her through, grabbing the bow and bulging quiver leaning on the wall. "I will distract the creature as you leave the village. Now, go!"

Kagome was too surprised to protest the old woman's shoves and she stumbled into a jog toward the well from which she had come. Her heart pounded in her chest and adrenaline rushed through her veins. Above the shouts and screams that had erupted in the village was a sinister screech. "Give me the jewel! I can smell it! I know it is here!"

She slowed to a stop within sight of the small clearing that housed the well. Kagome clearly recognized that voice and guilt squeezed her heart as she realized that the creature had been drawn to the village because of her. She turned to look back at the village and was horrified at the chaos that had already engulfed some of the small dwellings. Smoke rose into the air as one hut caught fire from the decaying monster's rampage.

"I have to do something…" she muttered to herself. Although the temptation to dive back into the well was strong, Kagome couldn't allow the creature to destroy the village looking for her.

Jogging lightly back down the path, Kagome picked up a rock the size of her fist. She slowed as she got closer to the outlying huts and crept around the edge of the village, trying to circle around behind the monster.

As soon as she was close enough, Kagome flung the rock at the creature as hard as she could. The rotting face swung around and glowing red eyes landed on her triumphantly.

"I…. found you!" It cackled, flinging away the screaming villager it held in its arms and scuttling toward Kagome on numerous bug legs.

"Oh, shit," she cursed, spinning on her heel and sprinting through the trees. She could hear the creature behind her and the wet, noisy breathing spurred her on. Kagome saw the well out of the corner of her eye but she passed by it, not wanting to risk the monster following her back through. She veered off slightly to the right, hoping that the Goshinboku was where it should be and that the sacred tree was still _sacred_.

Kagome weaved through the trees, trying to lose the creature in the forest. Her heart leapt with hope as she caught a glimpse of the massive tree ahead of her. She skidded into a clearing and froze in shock at the sight that greeted her.

There was a boy pinned to the tree.

He had long white hair and was dressed in red.

"Wheeeeere are you, little girl?"

Kagome startled, whipping her head around to stare wide-eyed into the trees. She backed up toward Goshinboku and the comforting aura it emitted, despite the person attached to it. Something warm and soft touched her back and she stifled a shriek as she turned back around. She studied the boy carefully, keeping one ear open for the monster.

He appeared to be asleep, despite the arrow that pierced his chest and pinned him solidly to the wide trunk of the tree. His face looked young and peaceful. Kagome gasped softly as her eyes landed on the triangular ears that protruded from the top of his head. The fuzzy ears looked so much like Buyo's that she felt an inappropriate urge to touch them. She stifled the desire ruthlessly.

A moment later, she was glad that she resisted as the boy's eyes twitched and fluttered open, revealing bright golden irises that glared blearily at her. A scowl formed on his face as his eyes focused on her.

"Kikyo?" He growled, sounding unexpectedly menacing. "What do you want now, bitch? Come back to finish me off?" He broke off with a deep, wet-sounding cough. Spittle mixed with blood splattered across Kagome's face.

"Excuse me?" She said crossly, wiping at the mess with her bare forearm. Kagome planted a hand on her hip and glared right back at him. She had had enough. She could deal with falsely kind secretaries, magical wells and rotting bug monsters. But this strange boy's attitude after coughing blood on her face was the last straw. "I don't know who you are or who Kikyou is, or how the hell you are even alive with an arrow in your heart, but I'm out of here!"

She fought an immature desire to stick out her tongue at the rude, mysteriously-alive boy and turned her back on him, ignoring his shouted curses as she headed back toward the well. The monster hadn't found her yet so she thought that she might be able to sneak back home.

"I found you…"

Kagome screamed as she found herself, for the second time that day, face to face with the rotting caricature of the monster that had pulled her into the well. There was a sudden, burning heat in her side and time seemed to slow as she looked down and saw one of the skeletal arms protruding from her waist, blood seeping out to darken the fabric of her shirt. Kagome staggered back and fell to the ground hard, wrapping an arm around the gushing wound and curling into herself. She felt ill; her head spun and her breaths came in harsh gasps.

"It's mine… it's finally mine!"

The creature held up its bloody fist, brandishing a gently shining pink bauble. It glowed brilliantly and Kagome watched in horrified amazement as pale flesh began to encase the boney arm and spread to the entire body. The glow faded, revealing a monster with the face and torso of a beautiful woman and the body of a massive centipede. She had numerous arms which she used to caress the new smooth skin covering her form.

"Ah," she sighed. Her voice had changed to that of a young woman. "I'm beautiful," she crooned.

"Hey!" The boy on the tree screamed. "That belongs to me!"

Kagome blinked slowly, beginning to feel cold. The centipede woman laughed lightly, holding the steadily darkening pink jewel between her fingers.

"Silly little dog… why don't you go back to sleep," she sneered. "I think I will keep this treasure for myself."

"Oi! Woman, stop her!"

Kagome was vaguely aware that the boy was shouting at her, but she couldn't make her body move. She could only watch as the centipede woman brought the jewel up to her lips and swallowed it.

A powerful black wave pulsed from the monster, washing over Kagome and continuing onward into the forest. She shuddered at the evil feeling. Something in her heart pulsed back and she gasped at the intensity of the sensation. Her vision darkened at the edges and she felt herself sit up. Kagome felt like an observer as she saw herself stagger to her feet. She watched as her hand extended toward the woman, who was changing rapidly into a more monstrous form. Her heart pulsed again, making her breath seize in her throat, and she could see the brilliant shine of the bauble that was inside the woman. Something within her _pulled_ at it and the jewel burst through the armored abdomen of the centipede half and flew straight into her hand. Her fingers closed automatically over it.

As soon as the smooth, hot surface of the jewel came in contact with her skin, Kagome instantly lost the fuzziness that had fallen over her mind when she was attacked. She felt strong and in control again and the aches that had plagued her since being pulled through the well vanished. The darkness that had begun to swirl within the jewel's depths was burst away in a second wave of power that was shimmering pink. Kagome vaguely registered the choked curse from the boy as the wave passed through him and continued onward.

The centipede woman shrieked in pain as her body began to rapidly rot away again. Kagome watched dispassionately as the creature dissolved into a pile of bones and steaming meat. Then she blinked and turned away, emptying her stomach in a violent retch.

"Just… who are you?"

The boy's voice was quietly awed. Kagome wiped her mouth shakily with the back of the hand that clutched the jewel. Her other hand pressed shakily against the painful wound where the jewel had been ripped from her body.

"My name's Kagome," she said with a faint smile, staggering slightly as her aches and pains returned with a vengeance. She walked unsteadily back to the tree. Something about the arrow pinning the boy to the tree nagged at her.

She stared at it blearily.

"Child! Kagome! Don't touch that arrow! You must get away from Inuyasha!" Kaede's voice broke through the haze in her mind and she turned her head over her should to look at the old woman. It seemed as if she had brought the entire village with her and they all stared at her with eyes full of distrust and fear.

"Something's not right here," Kagome slurred. She could feel her strength waning and she knew that she needed to hurry.

She wrapped slick fingers around the shaft of the arrow, grimacing at the feel of more blood seeping from her wound with every beat of her heart. Kagome looked up, meeting startled golden eyes with a faint smile.

"Don't kill anyone, okay? Inuyasha?" she asked.

Kagome waited for the boy's firm nod before tightening her grip upon the arrow firmly. The soft wood disappeared with a burst of pink sparks. A pink wave rippled around the entire tree before vanishing completely.

She felt the last of her strength give out and Kagome's knees buckled. It suddenly seemed as if she were viewing and hearing things from very far away. She belatedly registered the strong arms that supported her body.

"Keep a tight hold on that jewel," Inuyasha said gruffly, hoisting her against his chest effortlessly.

Kagome hummed in agreement, closing her eyes and resting her head against the coarse red fabric of Inuyasha's clothing. She heard the scratch of Kaede's voice and Inuyasha's answering rumbled and then, nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: Thanks for all the views, favs, and comments! I'm glad you are all enjoying this!**

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_Journey to the Future – Chapter 3_

Kagome blinked up at the inside of a thatch roof. Her side ached dully and there was a warm weight in the hollow of her throat. For a moment she couldn't remember where she was or what had happened to make her feel so terrible.

"Are you thirsty, child?"

The rough, but kind, voice brought everything back and Kagome squeezed her eyes shut against the sudden tears that prickled her eyes. She managed a tiny nod and felt Kaede's calloused hand slip under her neck to lift her head and a smooth wooden surface touch her lips. Kagome fought hard against the urge to gulp down the cool, sweet water as fast as possible. Instead, she forced herself to take tiny sips.

"You have been asleep for two straight days," Kaede informed her. "You are lucky to be alive, child."

Kagome opened her eyes and looked up at the old woman. She looked stressed and there were bags under her eye. "Where did that boy go?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly.

Kaede let her drink another ladle full of water before answering.

"He lurks on the roof," she said, her tone disapproving. Sitting back on her heels, Kaede frowned. "Why did you release him?"

Kagome's brow furrowed. She couldn't remember clearly what had happened. From the moment the centipede woman ripped the jewel from her side, the events seemed to be shrouded in fog. "I don't… it didn't feel right," she said hesitantly. "The arrow, I mean. It was like… it wanted me to pull it out." Kagome grimaced at her own words. "I know it sounds crazy, but it felt like that boy wasn't meant to be there."

Kaede was silent for a moment as she considered her response. "I think you should know of my sister." She eyed Kagome critically and nodded to herself. "Nearly sixty years ago, my elder sister was the miko of this village. She was very kind and very strong," Kaede said, a touch of wistfulness in her tone. "Kikyo was given the honor of being the guardian of a powerful artifact."

"Kikyo?" Kagome asked in surprise. She recognized the name as the one that Inuyasha had called her.

"Yes," Kaede confirmed. "And it was that very jewel that she was tasked to protect." She gestured to the bauble that was now fastened around Kagome's neck.

Kagome slowly reached up to the jewel and it hummed under her touch. It felt warm and alive against her skin. She listened in fascination as the old woman spun the tale of two tragic lovers, Kikyo and Inuyasha, who were destroyed by the machinations of a hanyou called Naraku.

"My sister did not trust Inuyasha and he did not fully trust her," Kaede admitted. "She wished for him to be human and he desired to become entirely youkai. Naraku found easy prey in them. He manipulated Inuyasha into attacking the village and fatally wounded my sister in the guise of her lover. In return, my sister sealed Inuyasha to that tree."

Kagome's eyes were wide as she listened to the old woman's story, hardly able to believe it was true. "What happened next?" she whispered.

Kaede looked at her with a surprisingly soft brown eye. "My sister told me of what she had discovered and instructed me to burn the jewel along with her body when she died. I tried to heal her wounds, but she was overcome within a day."

The old woman was silent for a moment before clearing her throat roughly. "My sister's dying wish was to rid the world of that jewel. The Shikon no Tama causes naught but pain and suffering."

Kagome blinked rapidly to clear her eyes of the tears brought on by the devastating tale of Kikyo. "Is there a way to truly get rid of it?"

Kaede hummed thoughtfully. "According to legend, the jewel was made when the miko Midoriko sacrificed her life to eternally fight a world-destroying youkai. It is said to grant wishes, such as the centipede demon's desire for strength, as you saw. I believe that the right wish could end the conflict within the jewel and erase it from existence. But I know not of the wish which could accomplish this."

Although the jewel emanated warmth against her skin, Kagome felt the sudden urge to rip it away from her neck and throw it across the room. She didn't want anything to do with such a painful thing and she couldn't understand why it had been inside her body.

"Kaede," she said softly, pulling her attention away from the jewel. "Do you know why it would have been inside me?"

The old miko's eye sharpened. "Your uncanny resemblance to my elder sister and that jewel leads me to believe that you may be the reincarnation of Kikyo."

Kagome gaped at Kaede in shock for a moment. "D-does it even _work_ that way?" she asked faintly. The concept of reincarnation was something that she was familiar with, but she had never seriously considered whether it was legitimately possible. The other day seemed like a dream still. Kagome wasn't sure if she had ever experienced such a strange and stressful day. Somehow, the idea that she may be the reincarnation of a dead priestess wasn't all the farfetched.

"Um, Kaede," Kagome asked, biting her lower lip gently. Something had occurred to her about this place and she was desperate to see if she was right. "About how far is the village from the city?"

Kaede blinked at the seemingly random question and stroked her chin thoughtfully. "To which city do you refer, child?"

"Um, Tokyo," she chanced.

"I fear that I do not know of any such place," Kaede responded with a negative shake of her head.

Kagome felt her heart sink slightly. "E-Edo?"

"I am sorry, child," the old woman said apologetically. "Yet again, I have not heard of such a city."

Stifling a groan, Kagome ground the heels of her palms into her eyes. She had known that asking about Tokyo was a bit of a long shot; the city had gotten that name during the Meiji Restoration era and had been known as Edo for over two hundred years prior. But for Kaede to not know of Edo meant that Kagome had travelled to sometime during the Sengoku era, before the unification of Japan.

"What ails you, Kagome?" Kaede's voice had softened from the slightly frigid tone that had persisted since speaking about Inuyasha and her siter.

Kagome turned wide blue eyes on the old woman and said in a small voice, "Kaede… I think the well took me back _500 years_ into the past…"

"Keh! You just need to give me that jewel and go home, woman!"

Both women turned to stare at the hanyou in the doorway. Inuyasha had his arms crossed over his chest and a cocky grin on his face.

Kagome painfully propped herself up on her elbows and leveled a scowl at the boy in the door. "And just what makes you think I would give it to you?"

Inuyasha's smirk faded into a petulant frown, but Kagome had already collapsed back down. She really wasn't in the mood to deal with the hanyou's attitude. He was beginning to remind her of Souta when he was in a snit.

"Listen, woman," he growled. "You can give it to me or I can just take it!"

"Inuyasha, if you take another uninvited step into my home, you will not like the consequences."

Kagome and Inuyasha both startled at the harsh words. While Kaede looked like a hardened woman, she had been nothing but kind since Kagome had passed through the well. The bitter anger in her voice and on her face seemed out of place.

"Eh, what crawled up your ass and died?" Inuyasha shot back rudely. But Kagome noticed that he didn't move an inch from the doorway.

"Do you not recognize me, Inuyasha?" Kaede asked coldly. "It has been quite a number of years since my elder sister sealed you to that tree."

Inuyasha gaped and pointed rudely at the old woman. "Oi, _you_ are that little brat who kept trying to tag along? Damn, you've gotten old!"

Kaede's scowl deepened. "Get out of my house, Inuyasha."

The hanyou blew a raspberry but ducked through the door. "I'm not leaving this fucking village until I get that jewel."

The miko let out a sign after he disappeared and seemed to sag slightly.

"If he was manipulated by this Naraku, why do you hate him so much?" Kagome asked, quietly. The anger seemed wrong on the old woman and it made her skin crawl slightly. The jewel against her skin thrummed comfortingly.

"Inuyasha still attacked this village, destroying our shrine, decimating our crops and costing me this eye," she gestured angrily to the worn patch over her left eye. "And his relationship with my sister ultimately led to her death. Even after all these years, I find it hard to forgive him."

Kagome hummed thoughtfully.

"Do not let him have the jewel, child," Kaede said softly, folding her hands in her lap.

Grinning slightly, Kagome reached out to pat the gnarled hands. "Don't worry, Kaede," she reassured. "I don't think I _could_ give it to him, even if I wanted to."

The old woman's brow furrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"

Kagome lifted the jewel from her skin and studied its smooth pink surface. It pulled at her and she fought not to hide it away from the other woman's gaze. The bauble felt as though it wished to be back inside her body and Kagome began to feel slightly disturbed by its presence, despite the comforting aura it emitted.

"You must not have arrived in time to see what I did then," Kagome commented offhandedly. "That centipede woman swallowed it. Then, something really strange happened," she said slowly as she tried to figure out how to best describe the phenomenon. "My body seemed to move on its own… and then there was this throbbing pull coming from my chest. I held out my hand and the jewel just burst from her stomach and flew right into my hand." Kagome shuddered at the memory of the hot, bloody jewel that nearly seared her skin with its power.

Kaede blinked in surprise. "That is quite shocking."

"Why do you think that happened?" Kagome asked, dropping the jewel back against her throat and resisting the urge to wipe her fingers.

"The jewel certainly has a unique presence, but otherwise it holds no interest to me. My elder sister once claimed the same," Kaede explained. "That you possess such a deep connection to the Shikon no Tama…" She paused and rubbed her jaw. "You say that this wound was caused by the youkai pulling the jewel from your body?"

Kagome nodded, unsure of where the old woman was going.

"When I first met you, child, I felt that your aura was familiar. I believed it to be due to your resemblance to my sister, but now that the Shikon jewel is here once more, I can tell that you aura feels the same as the jewel itself," Kaede said.

"Do you really think so," Kagome asked, running a fingertip over the surface of the jewel again. "That's pretty strange."

"Indeed," Kaede agreed. She pushed to her feet and shuffled over to the other side of the hut, where a cast iron pot was burbling over the fire pit. "Do you think you are able to stomach rice porridge?"

At the old woman's questions, Kagome's stomach growled loudly. She laughed and rubbed her abdomen, carefully avoiding the sore, bruised area around her wound. "I'm pretty sure that was a 'yes'," she chuckled.

Kaede poured a ladle-full of porridge into a bowl and returned to Kagome's side. She helped her into a sitting position and propped her against the wall. Kagome sucked in a breath as the movement pulled painfully at her waist.

As she sipped at the slightly bland porridge, Kaede studied the bandages around Kagome's stomach. "You truly were lucky in that wound, child," she said wryly. "Only the flesh was torn, so it should heal nicely. We still need to be careful of infection, though."

Kagome hummed thoughtfully, enjoying the warming porridge that was settling in her belly. "Couldn't I just go home? We have pretty advanced medical techniques and preventing infection would be pretty easy." She paused with a frown. "Do I just… jump back in the well?"

The older woman shrugged one shoulder uncertainly. "Is that how you arrived here?"

Kagome swallowed another mouthful of porridge and nodded. "Yes, that centipede woman pulled me in. Did you say she was a youkai?" she asked with an odd expression.

"Oh yes," Kaede confirmed, setting a cup of water at Kagome's side. "We are often plagued by all manner of youkai. However, the more powerful ones, such as Inuyasha, do not usually bother with humans. Youkai that possess a human-like appearance are the most dangerous," Kaede warned with a slightly dark look.

Kagome, sensing the oncoming rant about Inuyasha, quickly changed the subject. "Kaede," she caught the old woman's attention. "When that centipede woman attacked me, this… pink light burst from me and made her leave. Was that related to the jewel?"

Shaking her head, Kaede smiled wryly. "No, Kagome. You possess the aura of a miko, much like my elder sister and myself. However, yours is extraordinarily strong," her brow furrowed slightly as she ran Kagome's words through her mind. "You say it was pink?"

At Kagome's nod, Kaede rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Strange, indeed," she commented. "Perhaps it is due to your connection with the Shikon no Tama…" Kaede shook herself slightly and smiled apologetically. "The color of a miko's spiritual power is either pale purple or light blue," she explained. "That yours is pink only proves that you are intimately connected with the jewel. It may be because it was residing within your body."

"That makes sense, I guess," Kagome allowed. She was feeling tired again after eating and she stifled a yawn.

"Back to bed with you," Kaede ordered, waiting for Kagome to drain her glass of water before helping her lay back down and pulling the rough blanket up to her chin. "I will make sure that no one disturbs you," she said with a slightly ominous look at the door.

Kagome wanted to say something about not antagonizing Inuyasha, but felt that it wasn't really her place to decide the older woman's actions. Instead she relaxed back into her pallet and gave into her body's demand for sleep.

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It took another two days before Kagome was recovered enough to move around freely. Her side still twinged uncomfortably if she stretched it the wrong way or pressed it too hard, but she had otherwise regained her mobility. Under Kaede's watchful, but bemused, eye, she painstakingly performed light exercises to keep the muscles in her torso loose and help the wound heal more quickly.

She pulled back the sleeves of her borrowed yukata and dug eager fingers into the loose soil. Kaede had allowed her to help plant seeds in her herb garden on the condition that she not strain herself. Kagome had always loved gardening and had very nearly chosen botany over physical therapy. Her grandfather kept a vegetable garden behind the house and Kagome always enjoyed helping him with it.

Kagome hummed to herself, ignoring the sulking hanyou that crouched a dozen feet away from her. He had taken to following her around in hopes that she would misplace the jewel or suddenly decide to give it to him. At first, Inuyasha had tried to provoke her temper, but her lack of response bored him and he soon gave up. Kagome found his petulant behavior fairly easy to ignore.

She looked up at him thoughtfully. "Why do you want this jewel so badly anyway," she asked curiously.

Inuyasha's ears twitched in her direction. "To become a full youkai, of course," he said promptly.

Kagome frowned, sitting back on her heels, careful not to get dirt on the pale yukata she wore. "What's wrong with the way you are?"

The hanyou's cheeks colored as he stared at her with wide vulnerable eyes. Then he blinked and covered up his surprise with surliness. "Keh, you don't know anything. No one would choose to be only half."

Kagome hummed noncommittally. "Was it your mother or your father who was human?"

Inuyasha looked taken aback for a moment before he leapt to his feet with a snarl. "It's none of your damned business woman," he shouted at her.

She watched in shock as he bounded away, wondering what in the world had set him off. Then she grimaced at her own insensitivity. She could recall quite often when she would get snippy at anyone who asked about her father. Inuyasha must have a reason for not speaking about his parents. Kagome determined to apologize for her rudeness when he came back.

"Why do you bother with him, child?"

Kagome startled at the sound of the old woman's voice. She turned to look over her shoulder and smiled slightly. "He just seems a little lonely," she said with a shrug. "It must be strange to wake up to find out that nearly sixty years have passed."

Kaede's expression was stony, but Kagome thought her eye seemed a little softer than it had the other day. "Just be watchful of him," she said eventually. "You resemble my sister enough that I would worry of his intentions."

Blinking in surprise, Kagome snorted inelegantly before bursting out into laughter. "Oh come on, Kaede," she giggled. "He's hardly what I would call boyfriend material! He looks like he's the same age as my little brother… and he acts like him too!"

"Not counting the years spent pinned to the tree, Inuyasha is over two hundred years old," Kaede deadpanned.

"What?!" Kagome shrieked, nearly losing her balance and falling face first into the freshly turned soil. "How is that even possible?"

Kaede chuckled at the absolute shock on the young woman's face and decided to take pity on her. "Youkai age at a much slower rate than humans," she explained. "Some have been known to live for centuries. I believe Inuyasha's sire was said to live for over a thousand years. With such inu-youkai blood as his heritage, Inuyasha is likely to age as a full youkai."

"That's absolutely amazing," Kagome said faintly. She was dying of curiosity to ask more about Inuyasha's parents, but she didn't want to make him even angrier by prying into his past behind his back. "He acts just like my fifteen year old brother."

"Well, that is fairly accurate in terms of his development," Kaede allowed. She placed a basket of seed packets on the ground. "Do not worry if you get some of the seeds mixed. I know each of these herbs intimately."

"Thanks for letting me help out, Kaede," Kagome said with a smile.

"No, thank you, child, for preventing an old woman from working on her knees," Kaede replied, patting the top of Kagome's head fondly.

The young woman sat back on her heels and watched thoughtfully as Kaede walked away. She had enjoyed meeting the villagers, and even Inuyasha was an interesting person, but she really needed to get home. Her family was probably worried sick. She and Kaede had decided that with her wound, Kagome would have never been about to get in and out of the well without hurting herself. That she was so woozy from blood loss that she could barely stand was another reason.

The weight of the jewel suddenly felt heavy around her neck and Kagome delicately touched a dirty fingertip to it. The bauble thrummed happily against her skin and she wondered what she would do with it in her own time. Things like miko and youkai seemed ridiculously out of place in modern Tokyo and she wondered if there were any still around. Although, she herself seemed to be a miko, so maybe it wasn't impossible for youkai to still exist. She stifled a snort of amusement as she considered that Inuyasha may be alive in her time. Somehow she couldn't picture him in any other way than his current appearance and he would definitely stick out like a sore thumb.


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: Thanks for all the favs/follows and reviews! It's super encouraging :)**

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_Journey to the Future – Chapter 4_

"Inuyasha," Kagome called, squinting up at the red figure in the tree. "Would you like to join us for dinner?"

A pair of piercing golden eyes glared down at her. "Why should I?" he asked, petulantly. "Keh, old bitch would probably try to kill me."

"Maybe if you tried to be a little nicer, she wouldn't be so hostile," Kagome suggested. "If you were to apologize for attacking her village, I bet she would be pleasantly surprised. I think she's softening toward you a little anyway," she admitted.

As Inuyasha suddenly dropped out of the tree, she stepped back in surprise, her heart pounding for a moment before settling back out. "Speaking of apologies," she said, meeting the intense golden gaze. "I'm sorry that I was so nosy this morning. It was really rude of me to ask you such personal questions. Please forgive me," Kagome said formally, bowing deeply to the stunned hanyou.

"W-what are you doing?" Inuyasha asked, his voice slightly panicked. "It's fine, alright? Just straighten up already." He pushed gingerly at one of her shoulders until she complied.

"Thanks Inuyasha," she smiled, holding back a giggle at his flustered expression and the embarrassed color that had appeared high on his cheeks.

"Keh," he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Let's go eat, woman."

Kagome elbowed him lightly in the side and grinned. "Would it kill you to use my name?"

Inuyasha rubbed at his nose and glanced down at her from the corner of his eye. "Maybe."

She laughed and ducked through the entrance to Kaede's home. The hanyou hesitated at the door so she stuck her head back out, mouthed "_just apologize_" and pulled him in by the sleeve.

The interior of the hut smelled like a wonderful combination of herbs, venison, and steaming hot rice. Kagome's mouth watered. She made a mental note to ask Kaede which herbs she was using before she went home. Sneaking a peek at Inuyasha through her long bangs, she hid a grin at the sight of his madly twitching nose. Kagome couldn't help feeling a little proud as she watched the hanyou sidle up to Kaede and speak quietly to her.

Although Kagome couldn't make out the words, she saw the old woman's clenched jaw relax and the hard lines of her face soften slightly, so she knew that Inuyasha must have been saying the right thing. It looked as if the festering bitterness that had persisted for over fifty years was going to be able to heal after all.

Dinner was a fairly quiet affair. There was a strange heaviness over the small group and Kagome knew that tomorrow was the day that she would return home. It had only been a few days, but Kaede and Inuyasha were already beginning to feel like a second family and she knew that she would miss them.

"You know," she said, trying for nonchalance as she picked at her meal with her chopsticks. "Even after I go home, I can always come back and visit every once in a while."

"That is very kind of you, child." Kaede smiled at her, the expression making her weathered face look younger. "But it would probably be for the best if that jewel remained with you in your own time. This is a dangerous place for such a powerful item. I would hate to see you suffer the fate as my sister."

"You can't take it with you!" Inuyasha cried, leaping to his feet. His bowl crashed to the ground, spilling out over the floor. "I need it!"

Kagome leaned back in surprise. She had heard him demand the jewel for days, but she hadn't _really_ taken him seriously. Something within her cringed at the thought of the warm jewel's absence from her skin. "I'm not going to let you have it," she said as gently as she could. The hanyou's golden eyes were shiny and she wondered if he was going to cry. Maybe he wanted the jewel not so much for its power, but for its connection to his deceased lover.

Inuyasha growled angrily and stormed out of the hut. Kagome was stunned to realize that she could feel him moving further away. She shook her head in bemusement, chalking it up to her supposed miko powers.

"That could have gone better," she said softly, setting her bowl down gently. For some reason, her appetite had left her.

"He may try to take it from you in desperation before you leave tomorrow," Kaede warned, although her tone was less frigid than it had been when she previously spoke about the hanyou. "Be on your guard."

Kaede's words of caution haunted Kagome all night. She tossed and turned, dreaming of the angry, upset hanyou attempting to wrest the jewel away from her and her own strange power overwhelming him in return. She wasn't particularly worried that he would attack her. Kagome was usually an excellent judge of character and she had noticed how gently Inuyasha had treated her, despite his agitation. If he had truly wanted the jewel, he could have taken it a million times while she had been bedridden. Truthfully, Kagome was terrified that her body would act on its own again, as with the centipede youkai, and hurt Inuyasha. He was certainly trouble, but didn't deserve to be vaporized by her uncontrollable power.

Kagome's eyes felt puffy the next morning and she knew that she must have horrible dark circles bruising the skin under her eyes. Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen as she headed back up the slight hill to the well. Kaede had intended on walking with her, but had been called away to care for a seriously ill child in the village.

She wore a pale blue yukata borrowed from one of the women in the village. Kaede had burned her old clothing while Kagome was unconscious, as it had been nearly shredded and was soaked with blood. She thought it was probably for the best. Kagome wasn't sure if such a thing was possible, but she didn't want to change the future by leaving modern fabrics in the Sengoku era.

As the well came into view, she wasn't entirely surprised to see a slouching hanyou hovering around it. She sighed, hoping he wasn't itching for a fight.

"Good morning, Inuyasha," she said with a smile. She stopped by the edge of the well and watched him curiously.

Inuyasha's face twisted in sadness before he unsurprisingly covered it in anger. "You have to give the jewel to me." His voice was almost pleading and the sound of it nearly broke Kagome's heart.

She stared evenly at him, compassion shining from her eyes. "I can't give it to you, Inuyasha," she sighed, feeling like a jerk as his expression fell.

"Why not?" he asked. "You aren't going to use it and you aren't staying here, so what does it matter if I use it?"

"Inuyasha, I think you would be happier if you just forgot about this thing," she said, delicately.

The distraught hanyou snarled and leapt out of the clearing, leaving Kagome standing alone by the well.

"Goodbye, I guess," she sighed.

Kagome carefully gripped the think vines that spilled over the edge of the well and swung her legs over the lip. It was harder going down that it had been climbing up the other day. The still healing wound on her side ached each time her arm stretched out over her head. As she felt a warm trickle run down her hip, she was glad that there would be a ladder on her side of the well.

She let go a few inches away from the bottom but instead of touching the ground, she found herself suspended in a familiar shimmering darkness. Kagome sighed in relief. Part of her had feared that the well would do nothing and she would be stuck there in the past with no way home.

The journey was quick and she soon touched down on the ground of the well. She opened her eyes, not remembering closing them in the first place. A worn ladder was in front of her. Tears sprung to her eyes as she practically flew up the ladder, pained side completely forgotten.

As she stumbled over the lip of the well, Kagome stepped on something soft and fell to the ground. "What in the world…" she groaned, peering back over her shoulder.

"Kagome! You're back!" Souta threw himself at her from his position on the ground and wrapped his arms tightly around her shoulders. "I was so worried! What happened?"

Kagome sank into her brother's embrace with a contented sigh. She was both touched and worried that he had been standing guard over the well, waiting for her to come home. "It's a long story, Souta…"

* * *

"Are you okay, Kagome?" Hana asked worriedly after hearing about her daughter's last few days.

Kagome smiled tiredly at her mother and nodded. "Yeah, mama. I'm fine. I mean, I'm tired and pretty sore, but there's not going to be any lasting damage." She turned to her grandfather, grinning at his awed expression.

"Would you like to see it, jii-chan?" she asked, gesturing toward the leather cord around her neck. Her grandfather had been ecstatic to hear about the Shikon no Tama; it had always been his favorite legend and he even sold replica jewels in the shrine gift shop.

"If you don't mind, my dear," he said, failing to disguise his eagerness.

Kagome pulled the shimmering jewel from its place under the neckline of her yukata and held it out for him to see. As her grandfather examined the bauble, taking care not to touch its warm surface, Kagome felt somewhat ashamed of herself. As a teenager, she never really paid attention to her grandfather's stories and had regarded him as eccentric and slightly crazy. Now that Kagome knew that the creatures of legend actually existed, she felt like a jerk.

"It's supposed to grant wishes," Kagome said, hiding the jewel away again. "But it doesn't usually go well. Kaede said that the jewel brings nothing but despair."

Souta squeezed her hand from where he held it on his lap. From the moment she had begun to tell her story, his eyes had widened almost comically and he clutched to her hand like a lifeline. Kagome couldn't really blame him, considering he saw her be pulled down the well by a rotting youkai.

Hana cleared her throat unsteadily. "Why don't you take a nice hot bath, Kagome? It will help with the soreness."

Kagome grinned at her mother. "That sounds like a great idea, mama. I tell you, I really missed having running water." She squeezed Souta's hand once before extricating herself and rising from the table. "Oh, mama, can you take a look at my wound?" She gestured at her side, where a little blood had soaked through to darken the pale fabric of the yukata. "Kaede took great care of me, but I just want to make sure it's healing well and there's no sign of infection."

Her mother exchanged a worried look with Souta and her grandfather and forced a smile. "Of course I will. Let me get the first aid kit. We'll need to change the bandage after your bath anyway."

Checking Kagome's wound was a stressful experience. As soon as her mother saw the three inch gash that had been stitched closed and the tender bruising that liberally covered her abdomen, she burst into tears, pulling Kagome into tight hug. Souta and her grandfather had heard the commotion and come storming up the stairs. It had taken nearly half an hour to reassure her family that she was truly alive and home and on the mend.

Now she sat relaxed on the couch, fresh bandages applied, clean clothes donned, painkillers in her system and a hot cup of tea warming her hands. Kagome didn't usually like having her space intruded, but she reveled in the presence of her brother cuddled up to her side. Her mother and grandfather had gone to the clinic to get some antibiotics for Kagome to start and some more first aid supplies.

Souta had been fairly quiet since Kagome's return and he had only let her out of his sight to bathe. His arm was around her shoulders, keeping her tucked against him and Kagome realized for the first time that her brother was bigger than her.

"I think you would have liked Inuyasha," she said softly, resting her head on Souta's shoulder. "He was a little like you."

"Did he really have dog ears on his head?" Souta asked, leaning his cheek on the top of her head.

Kagome closed her eyes and relaxed into her brother's embrace. "They actually looked a bit more like cat ears, but they were really cute," she said with a chuckle. "He was surly and petulant on the outside, but I think that he was actually really insecure."

"So you think that I'm surly and petulant?" Souta teased.

Kagome poked him in the ribs and he laughed softly. "I'm glad you're home, nee-chan," he said quietly, squeezing her a little closer.

"Me too, Souta. I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to get back home," she admitted.

"I thought that you had been killed by that thing," Souta whispered, his voice breaking slightly at the end.

Kagome set her mug of tea down on the side table and wrapped both of her arms around her little brother's waist, offering silent comfort to his quiet distress. She and Souta had always been close, despite the seven year age gap, and the years that she had spent away from home were hard on them.

She was just about to drift off into an exhausted sleep when her mother and grandfather came home. There was a flurry of activity during which she was medicated, her wound cleaned thoroughly (and painfully) and bandaged, culminating in Kagome being tucked into bed, her family all hovering over her as she blinked owlishly at them.

"Guys, I'm going to be fine," she protested firmly as her mother tucked the blanket under her feet again for the fourth time. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

"I'm still going to reseal that well," her grandfather said, brandishing a fistful of new charms.

Kagome wasn't really very confident that the ofuda would work. In her few days with Kaede, she had gotten pretty good at sensing magically imbued items and the little slips of paper didn't even tickle her senses. If she had better control over her budding powers, she would have charged them herself. But since she couldn't, Kagome decided to let her grandfather do as he pleased. She knew that the centipede youkai wasn't going to be coming back and if sealing the well with useless charms made everyone feel better, she wasn't going to spoil it for them.

"Just get some sleep, Kagome," Haha said softly, smoothing out the wrinkles on the blanket one last time. "We'll be downstairs if you need anything."

"Thanks, mama," Kagome said through a yawn.

She smiled sleepily as the door clicked shut and she heard a body settle back against it. Souta was obviously going to continue his vigil, although he had to be as tired as she was, judging by the dark smudges under his eyes. Still, his presence was comforting and Kagome found herself quickly drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Kagome sat bemusedly on an examination table after having had her stitches removed from an astounded doctor. They couldn't believe that it had only been less than a week since the wound was incurred and Kagome felt sure that they were all certain that she was lying about it. To be fair, Kagome had definitely not been honest about how she had _gotten_ the wound and she had never been a good liar.

She had been shocked herself when she saw the faint pink line on her waist. Kagome had always healed fairly quickly, but this was strange even for her. She wondered idly if it had something to do with the herbal poultices that Kaede had made. Kagome had thought she felt a spark of power in them, so maybe the crafty old woman had spelled the concoctions.

Kagome's mother had tagged along for the visit and looked markedly relieved to hear that the wound was healing perfectly and that there was no internal damage.

"Should I stay on these antibiotics?" Kagome asked, jiggling the pill bottle that she had brought along.

The doctor pursed her lips thoughtfully. "It would probably be for the best that you stay on them for the full ten day course," she said, tapping her pen against her clipboard. "Even though there is no sign of infection, it is always better to be safe than sorry."

Kagome privately thought that there was little point to taking the pills, considering how she had gone four days in the feudal era without any trouble, but she could tell by the look on her mother's face that it wasn't the time to argue. She was sent away with instructions to keep an eye on the wound and to return if there were any problems.

Stretching carefully before getting into her mother's car, Kagome lightly probed the still-tender area with her fingers. "It really is amazing, isn't it? You saw how it looked when I came home."

It had only been another two days since she returned through the well. Kagome had expected to be laid out for a week at least before her waist looked this good. Even the dark bruises surrounding the wound and winding around her hips had lightened to a motley mix of greens and yellows.

"You were lucky that Kaede-san knew what she was doing," Hana admitted, although she looked as if she wished that Kagome had never been injured in the first place. "From what you've said, she sounds like she would get along with jii-chan."

Kagome grinned at the small smile that tugged at her mother's lips. "Jii-chan would fall in love at first sight," she teased. "He would love to hear about all the youkai she's seen."

"Well, let's get home and you can enlighten him."

The ride home was silent, but comfortable. As Kagome watched the business of the city fly by through her window, a part of her wistfully longed for the peaceful wilderness of the world beyond the well. It wasn't until she had gone to the doctor that she realized just how much smoke and pollution was in the air here. The air in Kaede's village had been clean and sweet-tasting. The contrast made Kagome a little sad when she considered how some things had not changed for the better with the advent of technology.

As she climbed up the numerous steps leading to the shrine, Kagome impulsively made up her mind to stay and help her grandfather for a while. She ignored the tantalizing pull of the well as she walked toward her house, remembering the old miko's words about the dangers of the Shikon no tama existing in the feudal era. It was harder than she expected to not stop and enter the well house.

"Kagome, are you coming?" Hana asked from ahead of her.

Nodding, Kagome pulled her eyes away from the well and followed her mother back to the rest of her family.


	5. Omake 1

**Note: I had some comments about how the meeting between Kagome and Sesshomaru was going to go, given his not-so-friendly canon personality, so I decided to give you some omake that I wrote which shows how the timeline differs. These aren't entirely serious, but the plot is relevant to the overall story. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

_Journey to the Future – Omake 1, or "What Happened to Naraku?"_

Sesshomaru sighed irritably as he made his way across the Western lands. He had heard a disturbing rumor that his younger brother had gotten himself killed at the hands of his miko lover. There were so many things wrong with this situation that Sesshomaru didn't know where to start. He would be extremely put-out if Inuyasha had perished… _he_ was the one who would end that wretched hanyou's life, not some human woman. If he truly was dead, Sesshomaru decided that he would use Tenseiga to bring him back to life just so he could kill him again. That his father had sired a hanyou, forcing _Sesshomaru_ to be related to such a disgrace, was bad enough; if Inuyasha was going to insist upon living to adulthood, he should at _least_ had the decency to keep himself alive until Sesshomaru decided to end his miserable little existence.

Jaken trotted along behind him, going on about some kind of nonsense. The daiyoukai rolled annoyed golden eyes. He was beginning to regret bringing the little toad along. Still, he did at least provide some entertainment. Sesshomaru subtly (and deliberately) kicked a rock back at the little youkai's head, earning himself an indignant squawk. As no one was around to see, he allowed an amused smirk to cross his lips.

Sesshomaru's expression smoothed over and he stopped in his tracks as an unpleasant scent teased his nose. It was coming closer to him, and since he always had been a curious demon, so he waited for the source of the odor to show itself. Jaken ran into the back of his leg and Sesshomaru kicked him away irritably.

From the trees emerged a figure cloaked in the skin of a white baboon. He smelled foul, causing Sesshomaru's nose to wrinkle in disgust. "Greetings, Sesshomaru-sama," the figure said in an oily voice, bowing its head. "I am called Naraku."

"Hn. And what do you desire of this Sesshomaru?"

"I desire power, Sesshomaru-sama, don't we all?" The hanyou (a fact Sesshomaru could discern immediately, despite the pest's noxious scent) made a grand, sweeping gesture.

Sesshomaru's cheek twitched in irritation. He didn't have time to listen to every delusional youkai chat his ear off. "How very nice for you," he sighed, turning to the left and continuing through the trees.

"I have done you a favor, Sesshomaru-sama," the foul-smelling hanyou said smugly, raising his voice slightly for emphasis.

This one certainly liked to be dramatic. With a tiny sigh, wondering why he didn't just end the creature's life and be done with it, Sesshomaru turned back toward the baboon-cloaked figure.

"And what is it you believe you have done for this Sesshomaru?" he asked imperiously.

"Why, I have taken care of that nuisance you were saddled with as a relative." Although his face was hidden, the hanyou radiated smug pride. When Sesshomaru remained silent, he continued speaking, describing in detail how he masqueraded as Inuyasha to heavily wound Kikyo and then tricked Inuyasha into attacking the shrine and stealing the Shikon jewel, leading Kikyo to seal him to a tree.

"The bitch miko had the jewel burned with her corpse and it has left this world. But with your power combined with mine, we could—urk!"

Sesshomaru flexed his fingers from where they were located inside the abdomen of the oily hanyou. Naraku's flesh sizzled as Sesshomaru's poison began to spread throughout his body.

"W-why…?" The dark hanyou asked in confusion. "I thought you would… be… pleased…"

"My half-brother is mine to spare or kill as I please," Sesshomaru growled. Before Naraku could respond, Sesshomaru reached up with his other hand and neatly decapitated the hanyou.

His body burst apart into a hundred insect youkai, each of which tried to flee away from the angry daiyoukai.

Sesshomaru cracked his knuckles again to get his poison flowing and flicked blades of toxic youki at the fleeing creatures. In a matter of seconds, the area around him was littered with the dismembered corpses of a hundred weak youkai.

"Disgusting hanyou," Sesshomaru murmured. Underneath the tattered baboon cloak was the twisted, charred figure of a human. It gasped noisily and was trying to crawl away from the inu-youkai.

"No… no…" it moaned piteously.

Sesshomaru crinkled his nose at the sour odor of burned flesh and he brought down the heel of his boot firmly, crushing the wretched creature's skull and ending its life. He had heard of such things, humans making pacts with hundreds of lesser youkai for power, but this was the first time he had witnessed it. Yet another reason to despise humans.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" squawked Jaken as he ran clumsily back to his master's side.

The daiyoukai turned and planted his boot in his retainer's face. "Jaken, cease your talking," he said irritably.

With an annoyed sigh, Sesshomaru continued on toward the small village where Inuyasha had last been residing. If Inuyasha was truly just sealed, Sesshomaru would just wait until he was unsealed to kill him and if the hanyou was dead, than Sesshomaru would finally get to test out the unsatisfying sword that was left to him by his father.


	6. Chapter 5

**Note: Thanks all of you for the love! I hope you enjoyed the omake. I have four or five of them that I'll be posting sporadically between chapter updates! Also, be prepared for something a little unexpected in this chapter :)**

* * *

_Journey to the Future – Chapter 5_

"Mama, don't we have any potatoes?" Kagome called over her shoulder. She was standing over a burbling pot of stew in the kitchen. Her friend Ayumi was coming over for dinner and Kagome had offered to cook for the evening. She felt like she had looked everywhere but had seen no sign of the potatoes, despite purchasing them at the store just a few days ago.

"Look on the floor of the pantry, dear," her mother's voice sounded from where she in the office.

Kagome lowered the heat and stepped away to rummage through the pantry. When she saw the sack of potatoes lying in the corner on the floor she felt like smacking her head against the wall. She could have sworn that she looked in that very spot three times.

"Stupid potatoes," she grumbled, grabbing a few and heading to the counter. "Hiding under the cover of air…"

She quickly peeled and diced the potatoes before dropping them carefully in the pot. The stew smelled fantastic and Kagome was glad that she had asked Kaede about her herbs. As she stirred the potatoes into the stew, she wondered how the old miko was getting along with Inuyasha, or if he had left the village entirely. She wished that there was some way that she could know how they were doing and felt another pang of temptation to go back to the well.

"Stop that…" Kagome muttered, rubbing the skin over her heart. Her hand brushed against the jewel hanging around her neck and it hummed happily against her skin. "You quit that too," she scolded it, withdrawing her hand and adjusting her collar to hide the jewel.

She put the lid on the pot and left it to simmer. "Mama, I'm going to go change," she said, poking her head in the office. Her mother waved her on without looking up from the paperwork she was sorting.

Kagome padded upstairs, peeking in at her brother as she headed to her room. He was passed out, sprawled bonelessly across his bed. Kagome smiled fondly at the sight. Souta had worn himself out keeping vigil outside her room on top of the exhaustion from waiting for her by the well and his body had finally forced him to sleep. She tiptoed through his room, stepping around little piles of clothes and a discarded game controller. Shaking her head in exasperation at the clutter, Kagome scooped another bundle of clothing off the foot of Souta's bed and, after an experimental sniff, set them on his dresser to be put away. She carefully maneuvered him until he was lying properly on the bed and then pulled his blanket up to his shoulders.

Sneaking out as quietly as she had come in, Kagome closed the door softly behind her and continued on to her own room. She exchanged her sweats for a pair of jeans and ratty t-shirt for a purple plaid button-up, rolling the sleeves to her elbows. After running a brush through her hair to tidy it, she decided that she was presentable enough. Ayumi had always been easygoing, which was why hers was one of the few friendships she had maintained after going away for high school and university. Hojo had been a surprisingly good friend, once he finally stopped trying to court her, and Kagome thought that Eri, who was somewhat high-maintenance, was perfect for him.

There was a knock on the door just as Kagome started back down the stairs and she broke into a jog. "Ayumi!" She squealed, opening the door and pouncing on her friend.

The other woman laughed gently, returning the embrace. "It's nice to see you too, Kagome." She stepped inside, slipping off her shoes. "Is that stew that I smell?"

"Right in one," Kagome grinned, leading her friend to the kitchen table. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Tea would be nice," Ayumi replied, taking a seat at the table and lacing her fingers together in her lap.

Kagome set about making tea, taking surreptitious glances at her friend from under her lashes. Ayumi looked both the same and completely different. Her hair was still shoulder length and wavy and her soft brown eyes smiled with the same affection. She had always been gentle and kind, but a little on the quiet side. Ayumi now was heading the top of the music charts in Japan. Kagome could hardly imagine her shy friend up on the stage and she determined to go the next concert.

"How goes the business?" Kagome asked, setting the kettle to boil and plopping down in the chair next to her friend.

Ayumi blushed faintly. "I've a new album coming out in next week and then a three-month tour."

"Wow, that's fantastic! It sounds like you're about to get really busy!" Kagome enthused. "Where's your first venue? I'd like to see you on stage."

"I'll actually be heading up to Hokkaido first and then working my way back down," Ayumi explained. "So I'll be here about two months in. I can get you some passes if you'd like?"

"That would be great! Souta really loves you, you know," she said teasingly.

"Oh, Kagome!"

Kagome laughed and attended to the whistling kettle. She stirred the stew a few times before filling the tea pot and bringing it to the table with two cups. "Well, you won't believe what happened to me last week…"

* * *

As Kagome got ready for bed, she couldn't believe how well Ayumi had taken the news of her time traveling. But then again, her friend had always been a rampant science fiction fan. She had encouraged her to write a book about her experiences, but Kagome was a helpless writer.

Dinner had turned out well and Kagome had thoroughly enjoyed seeing her friend again. Ayumi had left just as it was starting to get dark with promises of sending her a few passes for her Tokyo concert and a copy of her newest album.

Now that she was home, mostly healed, and doing normal things like visiting with her friends, Kagome almost felt like the week spent beyond the well was a dream. Maybe she _should_ write it all down, if for no other reason than to keep the memory fresh.

Kagome flopped back on her bed, glad that her family had relaxed enough to stop the watchful vigil. While she was touched at their level of concern, it had started to feel a little smothering. It also wasn't healthy for Souta to stay up all night, worrying about her. He hadn't come down for dinner and Kagome was sure that he would keep sleeping through the night.

With a yawn, she snuggled under her covers and reached over to table by her bed to click off her lamp. The moon shone through the window in her room and she could make out the top of Goshinboku on the other side of the shrine. The tree made her think of Inuyasha again and his vulnerable golden gaze and she wondered for the millionth time since coming home if he was doing well.

Kaede speculated that Inuyasha could potentially live for hundreds of years. It wasn't too farfetched that he was still alive in her time. Kagome decided that she would try to find out… in the morning, anyway.

* * *

Kagome awoke to the sound of shouting. She sat up too quickly and tumbled off her bed to land with a thump on the floor. After a moment of fighting with her blanket, she managed to stumble to her feet. The voice doing the shouting sounded familiar and she thought it was coming from the front yard.

She exchanged her pajama bottoms for a pair of jeans and slipped on a gray cardigan over a lace trimmed green camisole, and padded down the stairs.

"Kagome, what's going on?" Souta emerged from his room, rubbing sleepily at one eye.

"I'm not sure," she replied, heading toward the front door. She slid her feet into her sneakers and cracked open the door to take a peek outside.

To her immense surprise, a familiar scarlet-clad hanyou was running around in her front yard.

"Kagome!" He shouted, his voice strangely nasally. He sneezed violently. "Dammit, why does it stink so much here? Kagome, where are you?"

"Is that him?" Hana whispered from over Kagome's shoulder.

"Yeah," she replied softly. "You guys stay here, okay? I'll go see what he's doing here and send him back through the well."

"Be careful," Souta cautioned, worry creasing his young brow.

"His bark is worse than his bite, I think," Kagome reassured, slipping out of the front door.

"That's not what I…" her brother started to protest before being shushed by their mother.

Kagome shut the door and pulled her cardigan more tightly around her torso. "Inuyasha, what are you doing here?" she called, taking a few steps toward him.

The hanyou's head whipped around and the expression in his golden eyes caused her breath to catch in her throat. "There you are," he said grouchily. "Let's go!"

He bounded over to her and scooped her into his arms before she could even think about what he had just said.

"I-Inuyasha? What in the world are you doing? Put me down this instant," Kagome demanded, struggling against his hold.

"Stop it, woman," he said, tightening his arms around her body. "The village has been under constant attack from youki since you left and the old hag's injured. She can't keep up by herself anymore."

Kagome stiffened for a moment but burst back into movement as he started toward the well. "Hold on just a moment. Let me tell my family what's going on so they don't think that you're abducting me."

She wiggled out of his grip and jogged back to the house, where her family crowded on the porch. "Kaede needs help," she explained helplessly. "Inuyasha said that the village has been attacked by youkai ever since I left and Kaede's been injured."

Hana pulled her into a desperate hug that both Souta and her grandfather joined. "Please be careful, Kagome," she said. "And come back to us soon."

The expression on Souta's face nearly broke Kagome's heart and she knew that he was going to be waiting by the well for her again.

She blinked back a few tears that burned her eyes and nodded. "I will; I promise."

After one last hug, she tore herself away and jogged back toward Inuyasha, knowing that if she looked back that she wouldn't be able to leave her family standing there on the porch. She allowed Inuyasha to swing her back up into his arms again.

"You alright?" he asked gruffly,

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Kagome replied in a slightly choked voice.

"Well, hold on tight," he said awkwardly, leaping into the well. They were quickly enveloped by the warm darkness that Kagome had experience twice before.

"Inuyasha," Kagome muttered, waiting for the strange weightlessness to end. "How did you get through the well?"

"Keh, was I not supposed to? I just jumped in," he stated simply.

Kagome opened her mouth, but closed it again without saying anything. She didn't know why, but she had assumed that only she could use the well. Now that she was thinking about it, the centipede woman had also utilized it to pull her through into the past.

When they finally touched down on the ground, Kagome bit back a shriek as Inuyasha leapt immediately into the air. She looked around in awe at how high the hanyou had gotten. She could see the damaged village clearly and the large youkai that was attacking.

Inuyasha touched down lightly and jumped again, making it to the village with the second leap. He sped through the small houses and it made Kagome's heart hurt to see how few of them were undamaged. Inuyasha took her to the far side of the village, where Kaede was directing the villagers.

Kagome stumbled slightly as he let her go and leapt toward the demon at the edge of the trees. It looked like a massive boar with glowing red eyes. She stared in horror at the mangled bodies that littered the ground between the youkai and the bare fortifications that the rest of the villagers had erected. She felt ill. "Kaede, what in the world is going on?"

"What are you doing here, child?" Kaede asked in surprise, then she shook her head. "Never mind, I need your help. As you can see, I am unable to aid to my fullest capacity," she wiggled one arm, which hung in a sling. "Can you shoot?"

Kagome laughed unsteadily, but accepted the bow that Kaede held out in her good hand. "I was in archery club in high school," she said. "But I haven't shot in years. My aim may be a little off."

"That will have to do," Kaede stated. "You must focus your power on the tip of the arrow before you loose it."

Before Kagome could ask for clarification, Kaede moved away, calling out instructions to the villagers. She chuckled nervously and shakily slotted an arrow into the bow. "Inuyasha," she called out to the jumping, white-haired figure attacking the enemy youkai. "You may want to back away for a moment!"

The hanyou glanced at her and her drawn bow, leaping hastily away from the boar. Kagome searched for the pressure in her chest that she had when facing the centipede woman, struggling to somehow channel it into the tip of the arrow. Her heart pounded with adrenaline as she sighted along the shaft of the arrow.

Kagome took a steadying breath and aimed for the boar's head. As she exhaled, she loosed the arrow, narrowing her eyes against the brilliant pink glow that flared into existence. It flew straight and made contact right between the creature's eyes. The youkai let out a horrible shriek that was cut off abruptly by the explosion of power that consumed it.

The flare burned down in seconds, leaving behind nothing but a slightly smoking patch of grass. Kagome stared in horror at what she had done before dropping to her knees and retching on the grass. She vomited until her stomach was empty and then staggered away from the mess. Breathing heavily, she wiped her steaming eyes and pressed the back of her shaking hand to her mouth. She pushed to her feet and walked unsteadily toward the smoking ground. The grass was blackened in random patches and she felt sick all over again.

"Damn, woman," Inuyasha whispered as he sidled up to her cautiously.

Kagome blinked back tears and turned to then nervous hanyou. "I think I'd like to go home now," she said shakily.

"Um, sure," Inuyasha drawled, gingering picking her up and heading back toward the well, bypassing Kaede and the rest of the staring villagers. Kagome rested her aching head against his chest.

"Why have youkai been attacking the village, anyway?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly. She felt faint, both from the expenditure of power and of her stomach.

"The old hag thinks they sensed the jewel," the hanyou responded unthinkingly. He missed the horrified expression that crossed Kagome's face.

"So, it's my fault for bringing it here?" She struggled out of Inuyasha's grip and scrambled away.

"What? No, of course not!" Inuyasha tried to reassure her, holding his hands out helplessly.

Kagome ripped the jewel from her neck and stared at it accusingly. It seemed to wink at her as it pulsed lovingly and she shuddered in revulsion. "This is horrible," she whispered. She barely registered the hanyou's clumsy attempts to console her. The stress of the last week was too much. She could handle time traveling; she could handle a jewel being ripped from her body; she could even handle suddenly possessing youkai-annihilating power. But that she was the cause for such devastation in a place where the people had treated her with such kindness was the one thing that she could not take.

"I just wish this stupid jewel didn't exist," she cried bitterly, clenching her fist around the bauble that had caused all of her recent troubles.

Suddenly, the Shikon jewel burned brightly within through her fingers. The glow intensified until Kagome could barely see it. She thought she heard a whispered "thank you" and the jewel burst into a brilliant sphere of light. As the power of the jewel dissipated, a tiny pink mote of light floated unsteadily toward her, sinking through the skin over her heart. Kagome gasped as her body was suffused with a brilliant pink glow and she felt a rush of power through her veins.

And then it was all over as quickly as it had begun.

She collapsed forward, barely holding up her weight on shaking arms. The pulling, nagging connection that she had with the jewel was gone. Instead, she felt much like she had before she was pulled into the well in the first place.

"What the hell just happened?" Inuyasha demanded, his ears plastered back against his skull in alarm.

Kagome stared at him in shock, vaguely registering his white pallor and dilated pupils. "I think… it's gone," she breathed. Black spots danced in her vision and she felt herself hit the grass before falling unconscious.

* * *

For the second time in as many days, Kagome awoke to shouting. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes and recognized the thatch roof of Kaede's hut. She still felt vaguely ill; her head ached and her stomach cramped unpleasantly.

She turned to the doorway as Inuyasha burst into the hut. His expression was furious but when he noticed that Kagome was awake, the anger faded away. He sat cross-legged at her side.

"What's going on?" Kagome croaked, pushing up to lean on her elbows.

"Just arguing with the hag," Inuyasha grumbled. He looked at her with piercing eyes. "Is it really gone?"

Kagome winced and flopped back down, grinding the heels of her palms into her eyes. "Yeah," she sighed. "I think it is. I'm really sorry, Inuyasha. I know how much it meant to you."

"Keh," the hanyou scoffed. "I've been thinking anyway. I guess you were right about not needing it," he said gruffly.

Kagome peeked at him through her bangs and saw that he appeared to be genuine. She was glad that he didn't seem to be angry with her. "Why were you fighting with Kaede?"

Inuyasha shrugged one shoulder irritably. "She was fucking yelling at me for bringing you back through the well." He shuffled uncomfortably. "I… I got some bad news."

"What is it?" Kagome asked, her stomach twisting at his somber, guilty tone. "Has something happened?"

"It's just…" he hedged, his expression extremely contrite. "The well doesn't seem to be working.

His words hit her like a bullet right through her heart and her vision went black.


	7. Chapter 6

**Note: Sorry for the delay in updating, y'all! My life was temporarily taken over by final papers for graduate school. It was a lot of writing! Future updates should be more regular for a while; I don't start summer classes until July. Thanks for being so patient!**

* * *

_Journey to the Future – Chapter 6_

"What," Kagome said flatly, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen. "What do you mean, it isn't working?"

"I tried to take you back home when you passed out, but we were still here," Inuyasha explained hastily, looking as if he wanted to be anywhere else but having this conversation.

Kagome's jaw dropped and she stared at the uncomfortably shifting hanyou. She was certain that she hadn't heard him properly. The well had just brought her to the past a day ago; how could it possible not be working?

She gasped raggedly, digging her fingers desperately into her hair. "It was that cursed jewel," she whispered manically. "Kaede warned me… she _warned_ me that it never worked right!"

Kagome let out a cry of disbelief and fought the blanket that constricted her limbs. She staggered to her feet, slapping Inuyasha's hand away when he tried to steady her. Ignoring him as he called after her, she ran through the village, tears beginning to stream from her eyes. She nearly tripped on the hill up to the well, but managed to keep herself upright.

As the well came into sight, Kagome didn't bother slowing down to use the vines, desperately hoping that the magic would catch her and send her home. She vaulted over the edge of the well and jumped inside. Before she could fall into its depths, a pair of clawed hands caught beneath her arms and stopped her freefall.

"Let go of me!" Kagome shouted, struggling against the hold. She kicked her legs useless and tried to pry the fingers off of her, but the grip was iron solid.

"Stop it, woman!" Inuyasha yelled back, pulling her out of the well. He grunted as one of her flailing legs made contact with his knee. "You're going to hurt yourself!"

Kagome gave one mighty kick backwards, barely noticing Inuyasha's pained curse as he finally let her go. She didn't even look back at him before throwing herself over the lip of the well again. The wind rushed by her ears as she fell, but no warm darkness enveloped her.

She landed hard on the bottom, grunting as her legs crumpled beneath her. Kagome looked up at the blue sky and let out a sob. "No, no, no," she moaned, pounding her fists against the cool dirt. "Please let me through, please!"

A warm weight landed next to her and she allowed Inuyasha to gather her into his arms. "I don't want to be stuck here," she sobbed. "I just want to go home!"

"I know, I know," the hanyou sighed, leaping out of the well.

"What am I going to do?" she asked, covering her face with her hands. "I was supposed to go to Ayumi's show… I promised, I _promised_ that I would come back. Oh, Souta," she sobbed. "He'll kill himself waiting by the well for me."

"The old hag… may have an idea to get you back," Inuyasha said after an uncomfortable moment. He walked back toward the village, careful not to jostle the woman in his arms.

Kagome quieted with a final sniff, wishing that the time-traveling really was just a dream and that she would wake up any moment in her old bedroom in her mother's house, having just come home to find a job. She would even take over her grandfather's duties at the shrine if she could just go home.

Kaede was waiting outside of her house, her expression pinched with worry. "You did not hurt yourself, did you child?"

"I don't know," Kagome said flatly. She felt physically and emotionally numb.

"Set her inside, Inuyasha," the old woman sighed, holding the door open.

The hanyou ducked through the entrance into the hut and carefully set Kagome down on the pallet that she had previously been using. He shifted uncomfortably as she curled on her side, facing away from him. "I'll just… er… I'm gonna… I'll be back later," he stammered before making a quick exit.

Kaede entered the hug and closed the door behind her. She let out another sigh at the sight of the young woman. "Kagome, I am sure that there must be a way to reactivate the magic within the well," she said softly.

Kagome sniffed loudly and glanced over her shoulder. "Do you really think so?" she asked in a small voice. She hadn't felt so unsettled and vulnerable since her father died.

"I do," the old woman confirmed. "The well has been imbued with magic for centuries. There must be a reason that it has been closed to you. I do not believe that its power was due to the Shikon jewel. Besides," Kaede added. "If you search deeply, you can still feel a hint of power within the well. It has merely become dormant."

Kagome turned back to face the wall and curled in more tightly on herself. She heard Kaede sigh once more and leave the hut. She knew that she was being difficult and that she ought to accept Inuyasha and Kaede's comfort, but she was facing the equivalent of her entire family's deaths. Although Kaede believed that there was a way to reopen the well, Kagome's wasn't entirely convinced. The well itself had felt so much like the jewel did that she had a hard time believing that the two were not connected.

Intellectually, Kagome knew that the well would definitely not reopen if she just lay there uselessly, but she wasn't quite prepared to put on a happy face just yet. Once again, she could hear Inuyasha and Kaede shouting at each other, but she couldn't make out the words. She choked on a sob and buried her face in her hands. What in the world was she going to do?

* * *

Kagome eventually cried herself to sleep and for the next two days, she refused to move from her spot or even eat. She vaguely heard many arguments between the hanyou and the aged miko, but she couldn't quite bring herself to care.

After yet another breakfast cooling untouched at her side, the door to the hut slammed open hard enough to startle her out of her miserable thoughts. She peered blearily over her shoulder. Inuyasha stormed through the entrance of the hut.

"You've moped around long enough, woman!" he shouted at her.

Kagome gasped in surprise as she suddenly found herself slung over his shoulder. "Put me down," she croaked, smacking her fist harmlessly against his back.

"No way," Inuyasha snorted. "The old hag and I have had enough of you wallowing away in here. Also, you fucking stink!"

The hanyou sped through the village to the slow, wide river that cut through the land, supplying the villagers with fresh water. Kagome shrieked as she found herself flying through the air and when she plunged into the chilly river, she accidently inhaled a lungful of water. She kicked frantically to the surfaced and coughed violently between gasps for air.

"Inuyasha!" She shouted angrily. "What the hell do you think you are doing?"

The hanyou sat on the shore with his arms crossed over his chest. "Keh! Trying to snap you out of it, woman! How are you gonna find your way home if you just lie around all fucking day, starving yourself?"

Kagome blinked in shock. She hadn't realized that she had gotten that bad. As if the mere mention of starvation was enough, her stomach rumbled fiercely. She scowled at the hanyou, not really wanting to admit that he was right, and swam to the shore. He held out a hand to pull her out, but she ignored it sullenly.

Shivering slightly, Kagome stomped back toward the village. Halfway there, she realized that she not only owned the hanyou an apology for her behavior, but her gratitude for snapping her out of her funk as well.

"Inuyasha," she said with a sigh, turning over her shoulder to look at him. He was sulking slightly and didn't look at her. "I'm sorry for being a brat. You were right," she admitted. "I may not be able to get the well working again, but it definitely won't open if I don't do anything at all."

"Keh," Inuyasha replied.

Kagome hid a smile and turned to face forward again. He really was similar to her little brother. During the rare occasions that she and Souta fought, he liked to play it cool when accepting an apology.

Kaede was waiting with a rough towel and a change of clothing back at the hut. She also wore a knowing smile, which Kagome stoically ignored. After changing, she painstakingly combed through her tangled hair, making a mental note to actually wash it soon, before tying it off in a thick braid. She tucked the front pieces behind her ears and laid out her modern clothing to dry. It was just a pair of pajamas; the material was too thin and delicate to be of any use in the feudal era, but Kagome wasn't quite ready to part with them yet.

Kagome opened the door to let Kaede and Inuyasha back in and the three sat around the fire pit as the old woman cooked dinner. "So, do you know of anyone who might be able to… refresh the well's power?"

The miko hummed thoughtfully as she cooked. "There is a very powerful miko to the north who may be more knowledgeable about such things. She is a dear friend of mine and would be willing to help you. It is also necessary for you to learn control over your power and I fear that this old woman is not up to the task."

"Why would I need to worry about that?" Kagome asked in surprise. She had been able to focus her energy to the tip of the arrow easily enough, and she wasn't planning on living out the rest of her life in the Sengoku era.

Kaede leveled a serious look upon her. "It would be very dangerous for both yourself and for others should your powers go untrained, child. It was very irresponsible of me to request your aid against the boar youkai."

"I thought it turned out alright," Kagome protested weakly, feeling ill again at the memory of the demon's expiration.

"Keh, you nearly roasted me too," Inuyasha cut in.

"Did I really?" She asked with a worried frown. "I am so sorry! I couldn't really tell how much energy was going into the arrow, so I didn't even know if it would work."

"So you see, child, why it is important to learn control?" Kaede asked, serving them each a bowl of hearty stew.

"Of course," Kagome agreed. "I don't want to hurt anyone." She took small, slow bites of her meal, not wanting to make herself sick by eating too much after two days of fasting. "About how far north is this miko?"

"Hitomiko-san resides at the base of Mt. Asahidake in the middle of Hokkaido," Kaede said after a moment of thought.

"H-Hokkadio…?" Kagome parroted in surprise, dropping a spoonful of stew back into the bowl with a plop. "That has to be… nearly 1200 kilometers from here!"

"Aye, it is quite a long journey," the old miko agreed. "What is a kilometer?"

Kagome sweated a little. "Don't worry about it; it's just a way to measure distance," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "So, why do you think this miko will know more about how to reopen the well?"

"Hitomiko-san is an expert in barrier and spell usage, and she is also very knowledgeable about Midoriko, the creator of the Shikon no tama," Kaede explained. "If the well's power is in any way related to the jewel, Hitomiko-san will know."

Kagome nodded, but silently fretted. What if this miko had no information? She would have wasted months traveling to the northern part of Japan for nothing. By then, her family would have probably assumed that she had died. But unless someone else had a better idea, this was her only option.

"Inuyasha…" she hesitated after addressing the hanyou. Kagome wasn't really sure how he felt about her. Sometimes he was exceedingly gentle and thoughtful, but other times it was if he wanted nothing to do with her.

"What is it, woman?" Inuyasha snapped when her silence become awkward.

Kagome blinked back to the present and blushed as she realized how long she had kept him waiting. "Sorry about that… Um, Inuyasha, will you come with me to meet Hitomiko?" she asked, forcing herself to meet his intense golden stare.

"Keh, you'd die within a day if I didn't," he stated with a cocky smirk. "Besides, I got nothing better to do."

"Thanks, Inuyasha," Kagome said warmly. "I really appreciate it." She already felt better about her upcoming journey, knowing that she wouldn't have to make it alone.

"Child," Kaede said after a moment. "You will need to procure warming clothing before you get too far north. It can get quite cold there."

Kagome hummed thoughtfully. "I guess I'll worry about that when we get a little closer. I don't want to have to carry any unnecessary weight."

"The choice is yours to make," the old woman conceded. "You should spend tomorrow preparing and depart on the following morning. Inuyasha," she turned to face the hanyou. "There is something I must discuss with you outside."

Inuyasha stared at Kaede with suspicion, but followed her through the door of the hut. Kagome burned with curiosity, but she stayed put out of respect for the old woman whom had given her so much care. After a few minutes, Kaede returned alone.

"Where'd Inuyasha go?" Kagome asked, helping the old woman clear away the mess from dinner.

"There is something that he must do before accompanying you on your journey," the miko said cryptically. She laughed at the slightly petulant expression on Kagome's face. "I am sure he will tell you about it when he is ready, child."

Kagome supposed that Kaede was right. After all, she hadn't known Inuyasha for very long and it _was_ rather presumptuous of her to poke into his business uninvited. Still, she couldn't help a nagging worry about what he was up to and she hoped that he returned unscathed.

* * *

When Kagome woke the next morning, she was relieved to spot the white-haired hanyou sitting on the roof of Kaede's home. She called up a greeting to him and received a grunt in reply, but he showed no desire to more from his perch. Shrugging, she decided that he must not need to prepare anything. She idly noticed the worn scabbard that he cradled in his lap, but decided to ask him about it when he was in a better mood.

Kaede was kind enough to provide a large supply of dried meats, a medium bag of rice and a large packet of herbs, the content and usage of which she painstakingly explained. Kagome's brain was whirling with information and she longed for a notebook to record all of the different herbs. Some were for cooking, some for bathing, and some for healing. Kagome only hoped that she could keep the different types straight. It would be truly unfortunate to season meat with soapweed.

"_If you doubt your memory, show it to Inuyasha_," Kaede had advised her. "_He has an excellent nose and should be able to identify most plant life._"

Kagome spent most of the day trading services for supplies with the villagers. She gathered firewood in exchange for a spare yukata and helped tend to a rice paddy for cooking supplies. By the time she returned to Kaede's hut with all that she needed, she was exhausted.

She walked in on Inuyasha sitting topless as Kaede spread a salve along several angry looking gashes on his torso. Gasping in shock, Kagome dropped the bag of supplies, which clattered noisily as they fell on the ground.

"Oh my god, Inuyasha! What happened?" She asked, rushing to the hanyou's side.

"It's nothing, woman! Don't get yourself all worked up," Inuyasha groaned, leaning away from her as she tried to inspect his wounds.

"It doesn't look like _nothing_," she protested. "What on earth happened?"

Inuyasha grumbled something inaudibly, ending in a slight yelp as Kaede wrapped bandages tightly around his torso. "Oi! Ease up, you old hag," he protested.

"Quiet yourself, Inuyasha," Kaede scolded. "You are acting like a child. Just tell her what happened." The old miko dusted her hands and left the hut, muttering something about "foolish pride".

Kagome waited, somewhat impatiently, for Inuyasha to speak. The hanyou fidgeted under her gaze.

"Oh, alright," he snapped, slipping his arms back through his sleeves. "I ran into my fucking older half-brother. We fought, I got that sword, and that's it."

A whole slew of questions ran through Kagome's mind after the inadequate explanation, but what came out of her mouth was, "you have a brother?"

Inuyasha growled, jerking his clothes straight. "_Half_-brother," he stressed. "We don't get along. He's a fucking bastard."

"So he's a…" Kagome trailed off, not wanting to upset the hanyou who was quickly becoming her friend.

"Yeah, he's a full youkai," Inuyasha said flatly. "It won't surprise me if you meet him sooner or later," he grumbled. "I hate his fucking guts, but he seemed different from the last time I saw him. He would have never given me something like this before," he said, brandishing the shabby sword.

"Is it a special sword?" Kagome asked diplomatically, not really impressed by its appearance.

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed. "It's made of one of my old man's fangs. That asshat Sesshomaru can't even touch it," he said smugly. "It was meant for me."

Kagome noticed something slightly off about his tone, but couldn't place the source of it, so she let it go. Instead, she smiled, grateful that he had something of his father's. Judging by his words and what Kaede had told her, Inuyasha's father was long dead. "I'm glad you have it then," she said sincerely.

Inuyasha huffed and turned away, but Kagome could make out a faint blush on his cheeks. She padded back to the entrance of the hut and gathered up the supplies that had fallen. Kaede had proved a burlap sack for her to store everything and Kagome began carefully packing the bag. She wanted to make sure that nothing would get damaged as they desperately needed everything she had gathered.

With a sigh, Kagome set aside her modern pajamas. She didn't want to risk losing them or ruining the soft material, so she had asked Kaede to look after the small pile of clothing for her. The old miko had given her a slightly sad look, but had agreed. Kagome kept her sneakers, not willing to wear the exposed, uncomfortable sandals that most people in this time period wore. She knew that the flimsy bottom would never last travelling over hundreds of kilometers and potentially rough terrain and her feet felt cold just _thinking_ about wearing those sandals once the weather started to turn. She really thought that it was a shame that she couldn't have been stranded in the past at the beginning of the summer rather than the end of it.

Kagome frowned to herself as Inuyasha's sword crossed her mind again. "Does your half-brother live around here?" she asked.

The hanyou startled at the abrupt question before scowling fiercely. "No, thank god. I don't really know where he actually _lives_ though. Bastard's constantly on the move," he replied, sounding reluctant to continue talking about his estranged family. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Kagome's questioning. "Why do you wanna know?"

"No reason, really," she responded truthfully. "I was just wondering what he was doing around the village if he didn't live in the area." She carefully watched the hanyou's reaction and surmised that his brother must have told him the reason, but Inuyasha didn't feeling like sharing. Kagome had to remind herself how little she actually knew of the hanyou and that it was perfectly normal for him to be less than forthcoming with her when they were practically strangers, but it was difficult to bit her tongue. She already felt like she had known Inuyasha for years.

Just as Kagome finished putting her pack together, Kaede re-entered the hut, carrying several fat fish that had already been cleaned. Kagome's mouth watered at the sight of them and she belatedly realized that she hadn't eaten since breakfast.

"Are you prepared, child," the old woman asked, checking that the hut was well ventilated before stoking the smoldering embers at the bottom of the fire pit and adding fresh wood to the pile.

"Yes," Kagome replied, taking two of the fish from the other woman and working them on well-used wooden skewers. "I think that I have everything that I need for a while. We'll have to make a few stops here and there to restock, but we should be alright for a few weeks, at least."

"We'll only stop by a village if we _really_ have to," Inuyasha said assertively. "I can hunt for food if we need it and the old hag here taught you enough about plants that you can find some if you run out."

"Inuyasha is right about avoiding most villages," Kaede explained before Kagome could ask about the hanyou's reluctance to make stops.

"Why is that?" she questioned.

Kaede glanced at the hanyou before answering in her usual blunt manner. "Youkai and hanyou are not welcome in most villages and you will be looked at with suspicion if you are seen travelling with Inuyasha."

"Oh," Kagome frowned, situating the speared fish over the fire pit. "I guess most people don't want to risk encountering violent youkai… but I still think that it's kind of stupid." Discrimination was something that had persisted even to Kagome's time. When she was a child, she had not only been teased for her name and its presence in that silly child's game but for her unusual eye color as well.

She felt a twinge of annoyance at Kaede and Inuyasha's exchanged glance, as if she were extremely naïve, but she remained silent. It wasn't an argument that she really wanted to get into, but Kagome decided that if anyone mistreated Inuyasha while they were travelling, she would not hold her tongue.


	8. Chapter 7

**Note: Thanks for the kind feedback, everyone. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Also, enter Sesshomaru :)**

* * *

_Journey to the Future – Chapter 7_

The next morning found Kagome sitting by the side of the well, an expression of utmost concentration on her face. She chewed the side of her cheek as she worked, wielding the small knife carefully.

"What are you doing, child?"

Kagome looked up from her project and over her shoulder to smile at the old miko. "I thought it would be worth a try to get a message to my family."

She looked back to the side of the well, where she had carved the words:

_I'm safe._

_ Trying to get home._

She ran her fingers over the rough letters. "Still not deep enough," she muttered to herself. Kagome set the knife back to the aged wood of the well and slowly deepened the letters.

"I know there's no way of knowing if they even get this message," she said to Kaede's silent presence. "But I have to at least try to let them know that I'm alive and trying to keep my promise of coming home." She had the feeling that Souta was once again standing guard by the well, waiting for her to come through, and she didn't want him to make himself ill. Kagome wasn't sure how long it would take her to get home, but it was definitely too long for Souta to be sitting by the well the whole time.

Kaede's calloused hand settled briefly on her shoulder. "I certainly do not see any harm in it," she said, sadness coloring her voice. "Try not to dally for too long, child. You should start moving very soon."

"Yes, I know," Kagome said softly, working the edge of the knife through her clumsy letters. She waited for the sound of Kaede's shuffling footsteps to fade before slumping over slightly, resting her forehead on the lip of the well.

She was reluctant to leave the well, as it was her possible means to get home. While Kaede had promised to keep a close eye on it, Kagome still worried that something would happen and then she really would be trapped in the past. She also worried about the village itself; while the Shikon jewel no longer existed, another two wild insect youkai had attacked in the middle of the night.

They were small and weak and Kaede assured her that it meant that the youkai couldn't sense the jewel anymore. Still, the old woman's arm hadn't fully healed yet and without her spiritual power, the village was without its primary means of defense against the youkai. Fortunately, Inuyasha had been able to take care of both of them without help. Kagome had been shaky with relief that she hadn't had to kill another creature with her unpredictable powers.

With a sigh, Kagome knocked her head gently against the well. "There's no use worrying about every little thing, Kagome," she scolded herself. "They got along just fine before you; they can handle themselves when you've gone."

She sheathed the knife and rose to her feet, caressing the silken wood of the well one last time before resolutely turning her back on it and heading back down to the village. Inuyasha waylaid her from his new favorite perch atop Kaede's house, but Kagome maturely ignored him. She was still irritated at him from yesterday.

Kagome had returned from bathing and was struggling to get a comb through her hair, which was becoming more and more unmanageable since she had been locked out of the well. It seemed as if every curl that she had fought with in her teenage years had returned with a vengeance. The villagers, all of whom had perfectly straight, non-frizzy hair, were of no help. In her frustration, Kagome finally asked Inuyasha what he did to keep his hair so clean and silky looking and his answer of "keh, I just wash it every once in a while" was so unsatisfying that she refused to even look at him for the rest of the evening.

As Kagome tucked an errant curl back behind her ear, she couldn't help pouting slightly. It really wasn't fair that Inuyasha seemed to possess magical youkai hair that never tangled or became unmanageable.

However, as the pair finally departed from the village, after a slightly tearful farewell on Kagome's part, she couldn't keep up her petulant silence any longer.

"I know this is a little late to ask, but exactly how long do you think this is going to take?" she asked, adjusting the sack that had been secured to her back by a long rectangular cloth that she tied in the front.

Inuyasha glanced down at her. "Eh… for me? Probably about two weeks. But for you," he paused to consider the distance and the speed at which a human could reasonably travel. "It'll probably take more like two months. And that's _without_ taking into account any trouble we might run into."

This was about what Kagome was expecting, and what she had planned for when making preparations, but it was the first time she had heard it said aloud. "Two months…" she groaned. No wonder people never really travelled far from their home during this era. It just took too damn long!

Kagome was suddenly thankful that she had been an avid runner and fairly active since high school. While she had absolutely zero intention of jogging all the way to Hokkaido, her fitness level would allow her to travel a good distance each day with very little recovery time. She just hoped that she wouldn't be nothing but skin and bones from all of the exercise by the time she got home.

"What kind of trouble do you mean, exactly?" she asked, neatly hoping over a fallen tree branch.

"Well, youkai for starters," Inuyasha said, folding his hands into his voluminous sleeves. He was barefoot, which boggled Kagome's mind, but he had insisted that nothing on the ground had ever been tough enough to even scratch the bottom of his feet. While she hadn't believed him at first, the sight of his nearly completely healed wounds that morning had gone a long way to making her realize just how different his physiology was compared to a human's. "You might get sick, or the weather could get rough. Fucking anything could happen out there, you know."

"Thanks, Inuyasha," Kagome said dryly, gripping her fingers tightly around the worn wood of the short bow slung over her shoulder. Kaede had insisted that she take it and practice whenever possible. "You really have set my mind at ease."

"What? You're the one who asked, woman!" the hanyou protested.

"I know, I know," she sighed, reaching out to pat her offended friend's arm. "I'm just a little on edge. I hope that nothing goes too horribly wrong."

* * *

Despite Kagome's worries, the days passed uneventfully. The weather had been beautiful; there was a fairly well maintained dirt road to follow, and aside from somewhat regular bickering, Kagome and Inuyasha had gotten along exceedingly well. The hanyou was a little more brash and impatient than he had been and Kagome supposed that her novelty as a time traveler must have worn off. Although the trip had so far been without incident, Kagome was worried that it was all too good to be true. At least when chaos did strike, it wasn't anything too permanently damaging.

She fought back a giggle as Inuyasha cursed. It was rude, but Kagome couldn't help think that this was karmic payback for his unsympathetic response to her struggles with her hair. The hanyou had drifted off to sleep a little too close to the campfire that night. It had gotten a little chillier than normal, enough so that Inuyasha abandoned his usual tree perch above Kagome's head for the warmth given off by the smoldering embers of their fire.

Kagome was startled awake in the middle of the night by Inuyasha screaming bloody murder and then shocked into complete alertness at the sight of the hanyou's head on fire. She had quickly tackled him to the ground and used her blanket to smother the flames, but the damage had already been done. Inuyasha's hair had suffered irreparable damage. As the hanyou sulked, Kagome took out her knife to trip off the burnt hair. She ended up having to cut off most of his long hair, leaving the soft white locks at just below chin length.

While Inuyasha continued to complain about his loss of hair, Kagome privately thought the shorter look was adorable. "Come on, Inuyasha," she said, trying to placate him. She had no desire to hear him ranting about his hair for the next few weeks. "Isn't it a little more convenient this way? I mean, now if you get into a fight, no one can grab your hair as it flies around!"

Inuyasha paused, mid shout, to think about what she had said. "I guess that's true," he admitted, his expression changing from sullen to excitement in the blink of an eye. "You know, that's exactly what happened when I fought with my stupid half-brother!" he exclaimed. "If that bastard tries to grab me again, he'll have to get way too close and I'll finally be able to fucking gut him!"

Kagome blanched and moved slightly further away from the hanyou as he began to loudly daydream about violently beating his brother to a pulp. She almost wished that she hadn't said anything at all.

"And then I'll make him eat his own fucking poison!"

This wasn't much better than the whining.

* * *

Inuyasha found another reason to enjoy his new short haircut when it began to rain that night. Unlike Kagome, whose hair had turned into a sodden, tangled, freezing mass that hung into her eyes, the hanyou found the short locks extremely easy to deal with when wet.

He bragged about it to her, earning himself a nasty glare in return. Kagome felt like she just couldn't win. First, the magical youkai hair, and now he didn't even have to share in her long-haired misery. The frustration was almost enough to make her chop her own hair off. The only thing that stopped her hand was the memory of a humiliating haircut that she had in her first year in high school. Asymmetrical bobs were very "in" that year and Kagome's friends had convinced her to give the style a try. It had been an absolute disaster. Her hair had turned into a frizzy, poofy mess and she had to wear hats for a year until her hair grew enough to pull back into a pony tail. She had been growing her hair out ever since.

Kagome and Inuyasha huddled together under the thick boughs of a tree, cursing the rain that stopped their progress and muddied the path. The sky lit up with a bolt of lightning and the following thunder shook the ground.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted over the din of the storm. "We have to find better shelter than this!"

The hanyou yelled his agreement and crouched down, gesturing for Kagome to climb onto his back. "It'll be faster this way," he shouted in explanation.

Kagome held on to his shoulders and couldn't stop herself from pressing into the warmth of his back. She hid her face between his shoulder blades and tried not to get motion sick from the hanyou's erratic movements.

She felt rather than heard the hanyou curse suddenly and she lifted her head marginally to see what had caused the outburst. There was a strange creature standing in their path. It looked vaguely dragon-like, had two heads, and was fitted with a large saddle. Before she could even try to figure out what it was and where its rider was, Kagome found herself abruptly deposited behind a tree. She watched with wide eyes as Inuyasha confronted the beast, shouting angrily as he waved his sword around. The sword which Kagome last saw in the form of a rusty old katana and was now a massive cleaver with white fur where the hilt met the blade.

"Nee-san." A hand tugged at her sleeve, startling her. Kagome whipped her head around in surprise to see a young girl crouched next to her, smiling happily. She had long black hair with short bangs and was wearing a simple cotton yukata with a floral pattern. In one hand, she held a sturdy parasol over her head.

"Sesshomaru-sama has found a cave nearby," she said, loudly to be heard over the pouring rain and crashing thunder. "Come on, Ah-Un will bring Inuyasha-sama," the girl urged.

Kagome hesitated, but the girl's manner and appearance was harmless and she seemed to know of her and Inuyasha. As she looked back at her friend, who was now batting at one of the dragon creatures heads, which had his sleeve locked in its mouth, she suddenly remembered where she had heard the name "Sesshomaru" before.

"_It's made of one of my old man's fangs. That asshat Sesshomaru can't even touch it," he said smugly. "It was meant for me." _

The girl must be travelling with Inuyasha's older half-brother. Kagome bit her lip uncertainly but after looking at the girl's smiling face, made up her decision to follow her.

"Okay, lead the way," she shouted, gesturing for the girl to take her to their shelter.

The girl's sweet smile turned into a grin and she helped Kagome to her feet before hurrying through the trees. Kagome followed closely, not wanting to get lost in such a bad storm. Fortunately, they didn't have far to go and the sight of the small cave up ahead nearly made her cry in relief. There was a cheery glow coming from the mouth of the cave, signaling the presence of a fire.

Kagome followed the girl slightly warily into the cave and was met with a wall of warmth and sudden silence. Her ears rang from the abrupt change in volume and she shivered slightly. She looked searchingly around the cave, but couldn't see anything suspicious. Her gut instinct was to trust the teenager and Kagome could usually trust her judgment about people.

"Come on, nee-san," the girl said gently, tugging Kagome further into the shelter of the cave. "I've something warm and dry for you to change into."

"T-thank you…"

"Rin," the girl supplied with a pretty smile.

"Thank you, Rin-chan," Kagome smiled in return, allowing the teen to help her change out of her sodden clothing and dress in a thick warm robe.

Rin gently, but firmly, pushed her down by the fire and pressed a cup of hot tea into her hands before returning to the other side of the cave to lay Kagome's clothes out on the warm, dry stone.

Kagome watched the girl work, wondering what she was doing out here in the middle of nowhere. Surely Inuyasha's brother wasn't following them? She sneezed violently, spilling hot tea over her hands.

"Ah, crap, that's hot," she gasped, setting the cup down quickly and drying her hands on her clothes.

"Nee-san, are you okay?" Rin asked in concern, kneeling at her side and taking her hands within her own.

The teenager's hands were cool and felt lovely against Kagome's singled fingers. "I'm fine, Rin-chan, thank you." She smiled gratefully at the girl. A lock of soaking hair fell across her eyes and Kagome scowled at it, withdrawing her hands and tucking the errand strands behind her ear.

"Would you like me to dry your hair and brush it out for you?" Rin asked, eyeing her sodden braid with a critical gaze.

Kagome flushed slightly, looking at Rin's silky hair and thinking that she must look a mess. But she didn't get pampered very often and she was fairly positive that Inuyasha would never offer to do such a thing, so she accepted happily. "That would be lovely, thank you!"

As Rin toweled her hair dry and began the laborious process of taking out the tangle braid, Kagome heard Inuyasha's angry shouts drift through the mouth of the cave. She turned to watch for him, but couldn't see anything through the curtain of rain that fell just outside of the shelter.

Kagome relaxed as Rin's gentle fingers picked through the tangles in her hair. Soon enough, a figure materialized through the gloom, dragging the struggling hanyou behind him. He was tall and regal looking with long, silvery white hair and piercing golden eyes. They were the same shade that she had grown familiar seeing in the face of her friend, but somehow looked completely different. His face was marked with two magenta stripes over each high cheekbone and a blue crescent moon adorned his forehead. Although the marks should have been silly, he managed to pull them off spectacularly.

His clothes were pristinely white with a dark blue floral pattern at the shoulder and along the hem of the sleeves and what appeared to be a massive white boa was draped over his right shoulder. He wore a leather breastplate and had a sword secured to his hip with a dark blue sash.

Kagome's jaw dropped as she took in the full sight of the infamous Sesshomaru. She inhaled sharply as the sharp eyes landed on her briefly. He had to be the most beautiful man that she had ever seen.


End file.
